Taraba APC raises the alarm over plans by State Govt to disenfranchise other political parties
Taraba APC raises the alarm over plans by State Govt to disenfranchise other political parties
By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Ahead of the Local Government Council elections in Taraba State scheduled for November this year, the All Progressives Congress APC in the State has raised the alarm over measures put in place by the State government through the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and the State Board of Internal Revenue (SBIR) to frustrate other political parties from participating in the election.
The State Chairman of APC Barr. Ibrahim El-Sudi who raise the alarm at a Press briefing in Jalingo said that the SIEC has imposed compulsory fees for candidates aspiring for various positions varying from 150,000 to 1,000,000, contrary to the position of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.
El-Sudi further disclose that the SBIR has also fixed the sum of 500,000 and 1,000,000 as tax clearance for those aspiring for the position of Councilors and Chairmen respectively.
He noted that these measures by agencies of the State Government are undoubtedly calculated efforts to frustrate other political parties from participating in the election considering the present economic realities.
El-Sudi insisted that the measures not only contravene the constitution and position of the Supreme Court, but also shows clearly that the State Government and ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP are afraid of going in for a fair contest.
He said credible sources indicate that candidates of the PDP for the elections are exempted from paying for any of the levies both at SIEC and SBIR while other political parties are made to face the discriminatory levies.
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The Chairman call on the SIEC and SBIR to revert the obnoxious policies and provide a level playing fiend for all those who wants to participate in the election. He also call on the State Governor Agbu Kefas to urgently direct the heads of the agencies to revert the policies so as to exonerate himself from complicity in the allegations.
Meanwhile Hon. Emmanuel Bello, SA to the State Governor on Media and Digital Communications has described the allegations of the Governors’ involvement in plans to frustrate other political parties from participating in the election as baseless and contradictory of the Governors’ known policy on election.
Bello said that the Governor is a core prodemocracy figures who believes in the sanctity of election and will not stoop so low to interfere with the process of the election.
He however caution that agencies of government such as the SIEC and SBIR have clear guidelines that guide their operations and should be allowed to operate without undue interference
