Political Parties in Plateau State have reacted to the alleged exclusion of the Peoples Democratic Party from the Saturday 3rd February 2024 National Assembly Rerun Elections in the State, saying that either all political parties participate or no political party will participate.
The political parties disclosed this through the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Plateau State, Hon Abubakar Dogara while addressing journalists at the CBN Office in Jos, on Thursday 1st February 2024. Political Parties, journalists and other critical stakeholders were invited by INEC to the CBN office in Jos, where sensitive materials were kept and are expected to be dispatched to the INEC Offices of the 6 LGAs of Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Jos East, Jos North, Jos South and Riyom.
Mr Dogara said “It is either all parties participate in the elections or all parties will not participate in the elections. Because the Appeal Court said all parties to participate in the Rerun Elections. We understand that one of us is not on the ballot paper, we therefore sad down as Inter-Party Advisory Council all the political party Chairmen on the Plateau, we agreed that an injury to one is an injury to all.”
“Therefore if PDP is not participating, no political party is going to participate in the forthcoming Elections o. Saturday 3rd February 2024.” He said.
When questioned about alleged information from the INEC Federal Commissioner Muhammed Haruna that in a meeting with the commission on January 9th 2024, all political parties involved were properly informed about the exclusion of the PDP in the election.
Mr Dogara said “No we were not adequately informed that one of us will not be part of the elections. We were told that list of the parties that will participate in the elections will be forwarded to us within a week.”
“You said the meeting held on the 9th, today is what?” ‘1st of February’ (a reporter responded, “very good, no any information was sent to us until this morning that parties realized that one of us is not going to be on the ballot paper”.
Adding that “That is why we sat down as IPAC, as a body of political parties on the Plateau, we agreed to support each other. Let us all participate in the elections. We prefer peace on the Plateau than elections or anything. We need peace, we know how fragile the issue of peace is on the plateau. You know what has been happening recently. We are trying to avert anything that can take us to the doom days of the past, that is why we are taking this decision”.
Nigeria Star News 