Sack TSIEC Chairman Now, APC tells Governor Ishaku

• Party Says Philip Duwe's bias, deceitful

 • Election Will Be Free And Fair -TSIEC Boss

 

The All Progressive Congress APC in Taraba State has called on the State Governor Architect Darius Ishaku to immediately sack Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) Chairman Dr Phillip Duwe alleging he's biasness in the conduct of the forthcoming local government election.

Taraba State Chairman of the APC Barr. IBRAHIM TUKUR ELSUDI addressing a Press Conference in Jalingo noted that the party has also  written TSIEC giving them 24hours to rescind their purported rescheduled of the Local Government Elections slated for 30th June, 2020.

"They have not done the needful as required by our laws. It is therefore unfair and unjust to come up with a new date when they did not make any statement on the earlier time table which was overtaken by events. They need to draw up a new time table for adequate preparations and compliance with the Electoral Law.

If the TSIEC does not rescind or withdraw its new time table, we will have no option but to refuse participating in the election but will file an action in a competent Court of law to challenge their Electoral activities," Elsudi said.

We are calling on the State Government to immediately remove Chief Dr. Philip Danladi Duwe whom we perceive to be bias unfair and deceitful in the Conduct of the affairs of elections. We refer to what happened in the previous Local Government Elections. Where APC won Elections in Ibi Local Government, some Councilors in Sardauna Local Government, Gashaka Local Government, Karim Lamido Local Government, Zing Local Government and a host of other Local Governments. But Chief Dr. Duwe refused to announce same and favored the ruling PDP in the State. Worse of all Ibi Local Government from that period till now are being governed by an illegal Caretaker Committee which is not known to our Constitution.

Read full Press Statement below

 

PRESS RELEASE BY THE ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS TARABA STATE CHAPTER ON THE RESCHEDULED LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS SLATED FOR THE 30th JUNE, 2020 -17th JUNE,2020 AT JALINGO TARABA STATE.

 

Gentlemen of the press, good morning.

You will recall that on the 25th day of February,2020 the TARABA STATE Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) wrote a letter forwarding a time table for local Government Elections.

The APC Taraba state was not formally served with this letter but we got to know about it in the Social Media. Although the said letter was written on 25th February,2020 Electoral activities were purpoted to have started on 10th February,2020.

Suffice it to say that despite the lack of proper services of the time table on APC we started preparation for the election in Earnest. Shortly thereafter the Deputy GOVERNOR of Taraba State on behalf of the Government of Taraba State made a State broadcast locking down the entire State as a result of Covid-19 pandemic saga.

You are all witnesses to the fact that during the period of the lockdown no movements to other Local Governments were allowed. We were therefore not afforded the opportunity to campaign, sale our forms, screen our Aspirants conduct the primary Election, listen to appeals if any, forward the names of our candidates for them to be screened by TSIEC, wait for the outcome of the screening, appeal on the screening if it does not favour any of our candidates, substitute our candidates if the need be. There is also the window for withdrawal and replacement of candidates if need be. All these activities are provided for in either the Taraba State Local Government Law 2000 (as amended) or by the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2002 (as amended). The activities are tied to specific time frame or a reasonable time as expounded by the Law.

We have written the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission giving them 24hours to rescind their purpoted rescheduled of the Local Government Elections slated for 30th June, 2020.

 

They have not done the needful as required by our laws. It is therefore unfair and unjust to come up with a new date when they did not make any statement on the earlier time table which was overtaken by events. They need to draw up a new time table for adequate preparations and compliance with the Electoral Law.

 

If the TSIEC does not rescind or withdraw its new time table, we will have no option but to refuse participating in the election but will file an action in a competent Court of law to challenge their Electoral activities.

We are calling on the State Government to immediately remove Chief Dr. Philip Danladi Duwe whom we perceive to be bias unfair and deceitful in the Conduct of the affairs of elections. We refer to what happened in the previous Local Government Elections. Where APC won Elections in Ibi Local Government, some Councilors in Sardauna Local Government, Gashaka Local Government, Karim Lamido Local Government, Zing Local Government and a host of other Local Governments. But he Chief Dr. Duwe refused to announce same and favored the rulling party in the State. Worse of all Ibi Local Government from that period till now are being governed by an illegal Caretaker Committee which is not known to our Constitution.

Barr. IBRAHIM TUKUR ELSUDI

(State Chairman APC)