The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), on Saturday, conducted the long-awaited local government election in the 17 Local Government Areas, LGAs of the state.
The election witnessed the participation of several political parties, except the Peoples Democratic Party PDP which was barred by PLASIEC from participating in the elections .
The elections started at the scheduled time of 8am Local Time and witnessed large turnout in rural communities with partial low turnout of electorate in some areas in the Northern Senatorial zone .
The State Governor, Simon Lalong who spoke to newsmen in Ajikamai Polling unit in Shendam local Government, praised the electorate for their peaceful conduct and large turn out to elect their Chairmen and Councillors in the ongoing Local Government elections.
The Governor who voted alongside his wife, Regina Lalong and other close family members said he was impressed with the turn out and enthusiasm in his ward and the encouraging reports from various parts of the State which equally indicated a peaceful exercise and the readiness of voters to choose their leaders.
He said going by the fact that PLASIEC had assured all political parties, candidates and the entire electorate of the their readiness for the exercise having planned over a long period of time and engaged all stakeholders, there is no cause for alarm.
Asked if he was apprehensive of the elections not holding due to the court case instituted by the PDP at the Court of Appeal Jos seeking an injunction to stop the elections, which went deep into the night before the scheduled date, the Governor said:
“We had no fear because we know the courts will do justice according to our laws. Even if they had ruled that the elections will not hold, we would have had nothing to do but to obey the ruling. The APC as a party has high regard for the courts and believes that it is a very important part of the democratic culture which we must build. You remember the Zamfara case where we even won the elections but the courts voided it and in Rivers where we were stopped from participating. Now that in this case the court ruled in our favour, we are going ahead with the elections peacefully”.
On the significance of the elections and the security arrangements put in place, the Governor said the transition from one Local Government Administration to another is a thing that many people of Plateau have yearned for in the which by the grace of God is happening without any challenges.
He said though there were concerns about security, the Government took all necessary measures to ensure that this elections come and go smoothly without any hindrance.
The Governor also urged all citizens to ignore rumours and fake news being pedelled about the elections as all parties and their supporters were given equal opportunity to participate in the process .
He assured the State that the Will of the people expressed through the ballot box would be allowed to prevail as PLASIEC has given all assurances of fairness, justice and adherence to the rules of the game
Confidence Okwuchi
