The Jigawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected a call by the state chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) for the extension by one year of the conduct of local government council election in the state.
The tenure of the current 27 local government chairmen and 287 councillors were elected in March 2021 for a three-year tenure.
Rising from a meeting in Dutse, the state capital, IPAC said the extension would allow for proper preparations for the conduct of election local government poll in the state.
However, the PDP chairman of Dutse Municipal Council, Alhaji Saadu Barwa Dutse, said a few individuals in IPAC working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), took the decision.
“The tenure of any elected official is clearly stated by the law. The Jigawa state local government councils’ term is expiring by July this year.
“The Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) should organise a credible election in the 27 local government and 287 political wards in the state without any delay or extension of any chairman or councillor’s tenure.
“We will not accept any attempt to violate or manipulate the law.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has a strong belief and is optimistic of winning the local government council election, considering the present sufferings and economic difficulties being experienced in the state.”
IPAC had called for amendment of the state’s electoral law in order to give political parties notice of 360 days to prepare for elections.
The call, contained in a communique issued at the end of the council›s extraordinary meeting held in Dutse, was signed by IPAC chairman, Murtala Musa and secretary, Adamu Isa Indallahi.
The communiqué read: “In an extraordinary meeting attended by all party members, the council deeply analysed the prevailing economic, social and political circumstances, taking into account the extensive hardship afflicting our citizens across Jigawa State that requires all hands to be on deck for immediate and effective intervention.
“Furthermore, the council examined the possibility and viability of conducting local government election in Jigawa state under the current socio-economic and political prevailing realities of the state,” the council said.
“There is the need to reform and amend the state’s electoral law to reflect the current realities of giving political parties notice of 360 days to prepare well for the election.”
It maintained that extension would allow all political parties to adequately prepare economically, socially and politically to participate in the election without let or hindrance.
It added: “That will also allow legally required sufficient time for Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission (JISIEC) to prepare adequately to at the appropriate time conduct free and fair election into the local government councils in the state.”
“For the above stated reasons, we deem it impracticable for the local government council elections to hold and for IPAC party members to participate, given the current socio-economic challenges.
“We thus finally and unanimously advised that the election be postponed to a later appropriate time.”
