BY AHMED TUKUR, LAFIA – The failure of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) to issue notification and or release time table for election two months to the expiration of elected Local Government executives, is creating ripples in the state.
This is as stakeholders in the state are expressing divergent views with threat for legal action and accusation of deliberate attempt to impose poverty and illegal representatives on the electorate in spite of the Supreme Court judgments on Local Government administration.
Although the chairman of the State Electoral Commission, Mr Ayuba Wandai told the State House of Assembly recently that the state electoral body is still within the stipulated time frame for the elections, yet some sections of the people of the state are not satisfied with the explanation thus desirous to see activities kick start.
A constitutional lawyer based in Lafia, Mr Abdullahi Ubandoma has said that failure to conduct election within the stipulated time will create anarchy in the state.
Speaking to Forefront News, Barrister Ubandoma said that series of Supreme Court judgment has declared caretaker at the Local Government level as illegal
He said; “It will be unfortunate if up to this time we have not had any development with regards to the preparations or readiness by the electoral umpire pertaining to what is in place for the elections”.
Ubandoma also said that failure to give people the opportunity to elect their leaders will surely create a crisis situation that might lead to anarchy.
According to him; “If you fail to give the people an opportunity to elect their leaders, you are creating an anarchical situation, bringing under development because Nigerians are becoming very wise unlike in the past.
“The implication of not conducting elections will create hunger and insecurity and lack of confidence in the government by the electorate,” he opined.
Ubandoma threatened to take court action if the state failed in its responsibility to conduct election before the expiration of the tenure of the present Local Government officials, saying; “It will be quite unusual and undemocratic and unconstitutional that up to this period of time that is elapsing, the government is yet to take action on the conduct of elections. It is an abnormal process.”
Similarly, the State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Francis Orogu said that the process has already been faulted since notice was not issued three months to expiration of the tenure of the Local Government Executives.
Orogu noted that the reason given by the State Electoral Commission for shifting the election from the February date earlier scheduled for it, is a fallacy.
In his words; “They said because of Corona virus they could not hold the election, but they are holding political gatherings receiving so called decampees. If they fail to hold elections as at when due, we will take appropriate actions”.
In his own comment, the Nasarawa State chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), Mr Cletus Ogah, said that they are yet to get any official communication from the state Electoral Commission.
Ogah said; “We are still expecting notification and circulars and up till now, we have not received any notification and because we have not received any notice, we are not sure as we need to have about two or three months to prepare”.
He said that IPAC is carrying out its activities in accordance with the law, adding that the law stipulates three months’ notice before elections.
The Nasarawa State Caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr John Mamman also called for the conduct of Local Government Councils elections before the expiration of the present elected officials expected to lapse on May 27, 2021.
Mamman said that the APC is ready for the election anytime the State Electoral Commission releases the time table for the election.
Mamman said the APC has put in place all machineries and strategies to ensure that the party wins the polls
He further said; “We are ever prepared to stand the test of rigor of elections. Preparation is an internal democracy and the process is not a one day process. Once the umpire announces the date for election, they will give us a timetable for every activity. So, we are waiting. In my own view, election should hold before the expiration of the tenure of the elected officials”.
