The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for Mangu in the Oct. 10, local government polls in Plateau, Mr. Ayuba Gufwen, has called on his supporters to boycott the re-run election scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 18.
His call is in protest against the declaration of the earlier poll inconclusive by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC).
PLASIEC had declared that the election in the area was inconclusive following alleged violence in two polling units– Fomulam in Kerang and Kantoma in Mangu-Halle – which it said had a combined total of 2,000 votes.
Chairman of the commission, Mr. Fabian Ntung, on Tuesday, in Jos, announced that the rerun election would be held in the two areas on Thursday to complete the process and declare the results.
However, reacting to the announcement, Gufwen, in a press statement which he signed, describe the planned rerun as “illegal and fraudulent.”
He said: “As a democrat, I cannot be part of such illegality. I have consulted with my party and supporters and we have collectively resolved not to participate in the illegal exercise planned by PLASIEC so as not to give legitimacy to this travesty of justice.
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“We hereby call on all our supporters to shun the re-run by PLASIEC. We also want them to remain calm and be law abiding until the right thing is done and the real result announced in our favour.”
He insisted that he won the election by scoring 60,806 votes against the 55221 votes polled by his APC rival.
“The difference is a massive 5,585 votes. PLASIEC cannot bury that result,” he maintained.
The chairmanship candidate maintained further that the two polling units in contention had a combined votes strength of less than 2,000 which was far below his 5,585 lead.
“If PLASIEC is, indeed, an independent body, and not an extension of the APC, it ought to have declared me winner of the election and not scratch everywhere looking for how to doctor results so as to conduct a rerun,” the statement said.
He applauded Mr Stephen Hirse, a PLASIEC Commissioner, who hailed from Mangu Local Government, for resigning his position in protest against the outcome of the council poll even as warned PLASIEC against any attempt to “steal” his mandate.
“The mandate of the people cannot be stolen from me; the PLASIEC chairman should tow the path of truth and constitutionality by declaring me winner of the Mangu chairmanship seat. It is as simple as that,” he stated.
