The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Wase local government area of Plateau state, and some of its supporters, Tuesday, waged peaceful demonstration, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to relocate its collation center from the council secretariat to its LGA area office.
The Wase LGA Chairman of the PDP, Hon. Sale Hamman, led the procession, from Wase town to the INEC area office, under security escort.
“Following years of manipulations and subversions of Wase people’s electoral decisions as a result of relocation of INEC collation centre to Wase Local Government Secretariat in Wase, we had complained to the commission in writing and it agreed to do collation at its office.
“But to our surprise, the commission insisted on collating election results at Wase LGA secretariat during the 25th February presidential and National Assembly elections and what we feared came to past,” he said.
He alleged that the Wase LGA Chairman and the Deputy Speaker, Ahmad Idris Wase, of the APC, sneaked in their political thugs and unleashed acts of terror on electoral officials and agents of other political parties and coerced the INEC Returning Officer to declare, Hon. Ahmed Wase as winner of the said election.
“We, therefore, write to bring to the notice of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, the plights of the good people of Wase,” he said.
He also accused the Electoral Officer In-charge of Wase and the State Resident Electoral Commissioner of complicity, for allowing the collation at the LGC secretariat.
“We, therefore, kick against continued retention of Wase LGA Secretariat as INEC Collation Center and at the same time demand immediate relocation of same to the INEC Office in the Area,” he said.
An activities, Adamu Saluwe, urged the umpire to be fair and just in the execution of its duties.
The INEC Assistant Electoral Officer, Admin, Samson Laguna, commended the peaceful manner of the demonstration, assured them that the matter will be referred to the appropriate quarters for consideration.
Some of the placards reads; “We are tired of electoral rubbery, ‘we want free and fair election, ‘LGA Secretariat is rigging venue for Hon Ahmad Idris Wase and his Cohorts, ‘Wase LGA Secretariat is an APC Office,”‘ amongst others.
“We are tired of electoral rubbery,’ we want free and fair election,” LGA Secretariat is rigging venue for Hon Ahmad Idris Wase and his Cohorts, “Wase LGA Secretariat is an APC Office.”
