The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara State said it filed a suit against Zamfara Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Federal High Court over alleged abuse of electoral laws ahead of the November 16 local government election in the state.
Addressing newsmen at the APC secretariat in Gusau yesterday, the APC publicity secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris Gusau, alleged that the state Governor Dauda Lawal, intends to use the chairman of ZASIEC to manipulate the local government election in the state.
Gusau alleged that APC has uncovered a plan by the Zamfara State government to use ZASIEC to manipulate local government councils elections.
He added that the state government, despite violating the guiding rules and regulations of the electoral laws, also plans to use the commission’s chairman to deny political parties and their candidates satisfactory participation in the electoral process.
The APC spokesman said ZASIEC, which was supposed to notify other political parties three months to the election date, refused to do so but fixed the date only 30 days to the election process.
“The ZASIEC is still yet to dispatch any notice of election to our party as required by the electoral laws nor has it provided us with election guidelines and the election schedules which is a gross abuse of local government electoral laws which they reviewed and passed same day by the Zamfara state House of Assembly and assented to by the governor the following day.
“While the PDP may have already decided on who they want to impose on the people, the APC, in its fairness, intends to allow the people to decide on who they want as their chairmen and councillors.
“Already, we have filed our case at a Federal High Court, Gusau, to seek redress over this clear injustice with the strong belief that the right thing will ultimately be done.
“We are appealing to our teeming supporters and members who have already indicated interest to vie for various elective positions of Chairman or councillor to exercise patience as the party leadership is in consultation with critical stakeholders with a view to ensure justice be done to members by the ZASIEC”, the APC publicity secretary added.
