HAM Stakeholders Meeting On Cancelled Jaba LGA Elections

Following the cancellation of the Local Government elections process in Jaba Local Government on Saturday, May 12, 2018 on allegations of “widespread actions” that “constituted a security threat”, His Royal Highness Dr Danladi Gyet Maude, OON, Kpop Ham, summoned a meeting of stakeholders in the Ham (Jaba) Chiefdom in his Palace on Friday, May 25, 2018.
2. The meeting was attended by members of the Traditional Council, community leaders, Chairmen, leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), religious leaders, as well as other relevant persons.
3. The meeting was primarily convened to establish the veracity or otherwise, of the nature, extent, instances, root causes and resultant damage(s) to warrant the cancellation of the elections process in Jaba Local Government.
4. His Royal Highness Dr Danladi Gyet Maude, chaired and underlined the importance of the meeting by reminding all stakeholders that the cancellation of the elections was not only a blight on the peace loving people of Ham, but shattered the well cherished and enviable record of Jaba Local Government as the most peaceful area in Kaduna State. He added that contrary to the allegations, there were no reports of any incidents or actions that were brought to his knowledge before or during the hours that the elections were held that remotely or directly threatened peace and security across Ham Chiefdom.
5. Accordingly, His Royal Highness Kpop Ham, invited the leaders of APC and PDP, having been the two contenders in the botched elections, to explain, from their perspectives, the source of the allegations and factors that warranted the cancellation.
6. The Chairman Jaba Local Government APC Stakeholders and two members spoke on behalf of their party. In their statements, they said that on the day of the elections, they were alarmed to discover that nearly all the election officials were drawn from a rival party; furthermore, they received reports of disturbances, beatings, obstruction, snatching of electoral materials which they separately dubbed “violence and insecurity” in some polling units, as well as threats issued and brandishing of machete at the Local Government office of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM). These occurrences, they surmised, were reported to Government in Kaduna, in reaction to which, took the decision to cancel the elections. The three speakers affirmed that they did not witness at firsthand any of the incidents they spoke of, but were informed by their sources and party agents. They could not name or identify the channel that transmitted the allegation to Government. They nonetheless, acknowledged that information on the cancellation of the elections was conveyed to them.
7. The Chairman Jaba Local Government PDP Stakeholders spoke on behalf of his party. He informed the meeting that his party was not contacted or notified of the cancellation of the elections on the day in question. Consequently, the party participated in the elections that were conducted and final results declared by officials of SIECOM with print outs obtained in 68 polling units. In the remaining 42 polling units where elections also took place, the party could not obtain the print out either because of the refusal of SIECOM officials to give the document or failure to declare the final results altogether. He emphatically denied that there were disturbances, threats or actions that were inimical to peace and security. Moreover, he stated that the party had enjoined its members to refrain from actions that would be harmful to anyone in all polling areas. He however, admitted knowledge of a single incident that occurred in one polling unit only, where someone was slapped after refusing to heed all entreaties not to obstruct the conduct of the elections.
8. Continuing, the PDP official informed the meeting that his party obtained electronic recordings, which it had in its possession, of a pickup van load of APC stalwarts driving about menacingly. It was the group in the pickup van, he said, that went to the SIECOM Local Government office to cause commotion; the same group, he added, that snatched the five ballot boxes that were dumped in the bush and witnessed by a palm wine tapper. Seventeen (17) members of the group have been positively identified in a video clip, and one of them was caught in a polling unit in Sambam, which was not his polling unit. He further averred that the PDP requested the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to release the five snatched ballot boxes that were recovered from the bush to the rightful polling units, but the DPO refused.
9. He concluded that the PDP, not being the party in power in the State, lacked the means and capacity to determine whether the elections should hold or not; to authorize the cancellation of the election; and to determine any aspect of the arrangements for the elections. That power, he stressed, rested with the party in power, and the party exercised its authority as it desired. He vigorously denied any knowledge or involvement in the occurrences alleged by APC on the day of the elections. The PDP, he also said, was not afraid to go into elections in the Local Government as the party was very confident of its electoral base. Finally, he gave his word that the PDP will not, even when provoked, lend itself to any action that would disturb the peace whenever a new date is fixed for the elections.
10. Having listened to the representations made by the two political parties, comments were taken from the floor. Most of the comments expressed sadness and consternation over the spurious allegations of disturbances that led to the cancellation of the elections. The meeting was reminded that for an action or situation to be deemed to be violent or constitute a significant threat to security, it must reach a certain threshold with clear indices; in the case of violence, where destruction, often characterized by shedding of blood, bodily harm, breakages of moveable and immovable items take place, and insecurity, where it is apparent that life and property are at grave risk. It was noted that there was absolutely nothing that took place that remotely bore any index of violence or insecurity in Ham land on Saturday, May 12, 2018. In this regard, all the efforts made to identify the culprits and peddlers of the allegations that led to the cancellation of the elections were embarrassingly unavailing as no one owned up or took responsibility for passing false and malicious information to Government.
11. In the face of the denials and hedging, the stakeholders without exception, found it necessary to tender an unreserved apology to His Royal Highness Kpop Ham for bringing opprobrium to his well earned name, his office and entire Chiefdom. They reaffirmed their loyalty to and respect for the Stool and institution of Ham Chiefdom.
12. The stakeholders also reaffirmed their commitment to the spirit and intent of the Ham Charter, being the outcome of the historic 2017 Ham General Assembly which, among others, underscores the unity, common aspirations, ambitions, beliefs, hopes, values and virtues of all Ham people. They acknowledged and further reaffirmed that politics is not an end in itself nor is it a zero-sum game where the winner takes all. Accordingly, they reaffirmed their pledge to always exercise their political franchise wisely and actively, and assured that they will not embrace the politics of convenience, deceit, division, exploitation and manipulation in Ham land.
13. The stakeholders recognized and agreed with the specific provision in the Ham Charter that Ham people will only give their electoral mandate in Ham land to the best and brightest candidates on the basis of character, competence, proven ability, excellence, integrity and honesty regardless of party affiliation, religion or gender.
14. The stakeholders recognized and agreed with the specific provision in the Ham Charter that Ham people will only give their electoral mandate in Ham land to the best and brightest candidates on the basis of character, competence, proven ability, excellence, integrity and honesty regardless of party affiliation, religion or gender.
15. The stakeholders undertook to be of good behavior and to respect the wish of the people whenever it is so expressed.

Done this day, May 25, 2018, in Kwoi, Jaba Local Government, Kaduna State.