The Jigawa state Independent Election Commission, JISIEC, has disclosed that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will not participate in the forthcoming local government election slated to hold on the 29th of June 2019, as a result of the failure of its members to purchase election forms.
JISIEC chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmad, through the commission’s Public Relations Officer, stated this while speaking on the alleged refusal by the commission to sell forms to the major opposition party in the state, PDP.
He explained that PDP were denied the forms due to their lateness in purchasing nomination and expression of interest forms, up to the closing date.
“When the date for the conduct of election was fixed by the commission, time table was sent to all parties about the date for the commencement of sale of forms and closing date but PDP didn’t even indicate interest to participate in the election until we closed the selling of the forms,” he stated.
Ahmad insisted that all political parties were carried along in the entire electioneering processes and have no right to claim that they were sidelined.
Reacting, the PDP North Central Vice Chairman, Alhaji Aminu Jahun said the state election body, JISIEC prevented his party from fielding candidates for the forthcoming local government election by refusing to sell nomination forms to their candidates.
He stated that the PDP had asked the commission for a waiver for their lateness because the officials of the party were all at Abuja for a court case but was denied the opportunity.
According to Jahun, “We are fully prepared for the polls in spite that the commission has withheld our N64 million that we paid against the last two years local government polls that we were denied.”
He added that the PDP had “at that time instituted a court action against the JISIEC for breaching the law by recognising a faction of Ali Modu Sheriff as the legitimate leadership aside the N64 million we paid for nomination forms for all the 27 council chairmen and councillors”.
Jahun however disclosed that the state National Working Committee (NWC) will hold a crucial meeting on Monday to decide on the court action to be taken against the commission.
