Taraba LG polls: PDP wins 16th local govt. chairmanship seats

EMMANUEL AWARI-Jalingo

 

The People’s Democratic Party’s chairmanship candidates have won the seats in the sixteen local governments of the state in the just concluded local government polls which took place on the Eighteenth of November 2023 across the state.

 

The Chairman of Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) , Chief Philip Duwe announced  the results of the election at the Commission’s headquarters in Jalingo.

 

According to him,  One Hundred and Sixty Five 165 contested councilorship seats in the Sixteen local government areas which were declared at the various wards of their respective local government areas.

 

He disclosed that the election was keenly contested by Six political parties and that the People’s Democratic Party has won overwhelmingly in all the sixteen local governments.

 

“The results announced at the local government collation centres are legally valid and what we are doing is just to validate what has been announced.

 

The Chairman appreciated the media for the objective coverage from the onset of the journey to it’s conclusion.

 

“Despite the hard times, you have shown absolute commitment and resilience. You have served your fatherland excellently and you can hold your shoulders high.

 

“To assert credibility, we must get as much observation and criticisms of what we are doing and suggestions of ways we can improve. We would study the reports from various quarters and leverage on them for better performance subsequently.

 

Duwe said that he lead a team of highly respected journalists, election observers and other people to a polling unit and he did not see any election activity happening.

 

“This should tell you that we did not teleguide anything. Otherwise, I would not have led a team to such a place. So I must admit that this is a process and you can not have absolute control over anything

 

He disclosed that elections are meant to be won and lost and called for patience from those who may feel aggrieved.

 

“We have a duty to sustain the peace we currently enjoy. Those who have won, this may be your good day but be humble and grateful in victory.

 

“If you have lost, it could be a bad day but the bad days will expire. Be prayerful and focused,” Duwe said.

 

Recall that the All Progressives Congress APC in Taraba State has described Saturday’s election as a shamble and a mere charade, alleging that elections were not held in most locations across the State while gross irregularities were very apparent across the State.

 

The state Chairman of the Party Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi said that in most locations, thumb printing was done in homes of PDP stalwarts in many local government areas while people waited at polling units but did not see election officials or materials.

 

“It has become imperative for me to address you at this time. Ordinarily, local government elections is supposed to be going on across the state and all of us should be busy with that. Unfortunately, electoral materials are taken to homes of political stalwarts for thumb printing. In Ibi, the electoral officers are nowhere to be found since yesterday. I informed the security who said their responsibility is only to safeguard the election materials. I also informed the Chairman of SIEC who assured me that the right thing would be done and yet nothing is happening.

 

“At the end of the day, the PDP and Taraba State Government has used the election process to legalise the appointment of Caretaker committees at the various local government areas. This is unfortunate and sad.”

 

“We are calling for the complete cancelation of the  elections in Taraba State

 

“APC was fully prepared to participate in the elections taking place today Saturday, 18th 2023 in the 168 wards of the sixteen local governments of the state.

 

“We are disappointed, we are not happy with what is happening in Taraba state.

 

“In Wukari, the Result sheets were no where to be found. In Takum, Gashaka, Kurmi and other local governments, same thing is happening.

 

“In Gashaka local government, materials were taken to PDP stakeholder houses for thump printing.

 

He said that in Ibi local government, the Electoral Officer was nowhere to be found, only the security personnels as I speak to you.

 

“LG elections have been pocketed by the state government. This is also happening in APC states. We call on Nigerians to make referendum and amendment.

 

“We thought that Governor Agbu Kefas as a retired military man, would do the right thing, but he was caged by some politicians in the state.

 

The Chairman pointed out that States Houses of Assembly and Local government elections have been pocketed by the state governments.

 

“We are calling for the complete cancelation of the elections in Taraba state.

 

“It is a shamble, all results have already been written.

 

“Results sheets were no where to be found at the LG levels.

 

“Materials have not reached most of the polling units in many local governments.

 

The Chairman  alleged that ballot papers are being thumb printed in the homes of PDP stalwarts in several locations across the state, rather than the polling units, thereby disenfranchising members of the opposition parties.

 

He said that  reports from across the local government areas especially where the APC is fully involved shows that there is no election going on as what is happening is just a mere charade.

 

He insisted that the election has exposed the lack of sincerity of the Governor and electoral umpire in the state and the deliberate effort to undermine democracy.

 

“It has become imperative for me to address you at this time. Ordinarily, local government elections is supposed to be going on across the state and all of us should be busy with that.

 

“Unfortunately, electoral materials are taken to homes of political stalwarts for thumb printing.

 

“I informed the security who said their responsibility is only to safeguard the election materials. I also informed the Chairman of SIEC who assured me that the right thing would be done and yet nothing is happening.

 

“The situation even in Jalingo here, there is no election at all in most of the polling units. This is very unfortunate. We know right from the onset that the governor wanted to appoint Caretaker Committees to run the local governments even after the notice for election was given. Now they just appointed caretaker chairmen in the name of election.

 

“I am therefore, calling for complete cancellation of the election. This is such a sham and disgrace and so we, as a party, can not be associated with it. We gathered since yesterday that all local governments have already written their results. Today’s development have vindicated our earlier intelligence – he said.

 

“I also want to  specially call on the INEC to be handling Local Government elections henceforth otherwise, this is an abuse of democracy. We need a referendum as the states Assemblies are already compromised and may never consent to any constitutional  amendments to this effect.

 

The results of the election as announced by the State Chairman of TSIEC, Chief Philip Duwe is as follows,

 

ARDO – KOLA , AA 673, APC2,230, APGA 518, NNPP 1,395, PDP 65,579, SDP 296, Invalid votes 1,735, BALI, AA 13, APC 1,273, APGA 74, NNPP 406, PDP 89,789, SDP 168, Invalid votes 4,078, DONGA, AA 0, APC 20,612, APGA 0, NNPP 0, PDP 64,400 Invalid votes 114, GASHAKA, AA 6, APC 2,256, APGA 15, NNPP 159, PDP 54,532, SDP 43, Invalid votes 873, GASSOL, AA 0, APC 2,939, APGA 0, NNPP 4,241, PDP 104,988, SDP 1,689, Invalid votes 12,387, IBI, AA 0, APC 13,826, APGA 0, NNPP 12,808, PDP 41,792, SDP 161, Invalid votes 27, JALINGO, AA 1, APC 8,470, APGA 11, NNPP 5,934, PDP 116,291, SDP 188, Invalid 0, KARIM – LAMIDO, AA 153, APC 3,774, APGA 0, NNPP 24,619, PDP 88,717, SDP 491, Invalid votes 191, LAU, AA 13, APC 3,654, APGA 50, NNPP 217, PDP 46,319, SDP 98, Invalid votes 1,948, SARDAUNA, AA 128, APC 71, APGA 0, NNPP 0, PDP 62,072, SDP 0, Invalid votes 1,194, TAKUM, AA 1, APC 1,704, APGA 24, NNPP 51, PDP 107,708, SDP Invalid votes 0, USSA, AA 0, APC 2,048, APGA 0, NNPP 0, PDP 63,094,  SDP 0, Invalid votes 705, WUKARI, AA 0, APC 41, 493, APGA 61, NNPP 23,861, PDP 93,909, SDP 60, Invalid votes 0, YORRO, AA 3, APC 2,717, APGA 20, NNPP 1,524, PDP 28,494, SDP 6,719, Invalid votes 3,441, ZING, AA 4,  APC 3,424, APGA 282, NNPP 49, PDP 64,235, SDP 119, Invalid votes 2,621

 

“This we cofirmed the genuine election result for the 18th November 2023.

 

“The elections were contested and PDP scored the highest votes.

 

“I urge those that have complaints to approach the election tribunal for redress – he added.

 

Meanwhile, the Electoral Officer in charge of Ibi Local Government Council, Mr. Ibrahim Ahmadu has been arrested by the  Police  for allegedly absconding with 7.1 million naira.

 

The Executive Chairman, Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission, TSIEC, Dr. Philip Danladi Duwe disclosed this to journalists after inspection of polling units for the ongoing local government elections across the state.

 

Dr Danladi said the electoral officer escaped with the money which was given to him as payment of adhoc staff, and transportation of voting materials to various polling units within the local government.

 

Danladi expressed displeasure towards the attitude of the EO for misappropriation of money meant for conducting elections within the local government.

 

He said the EO’S and AEO’s are trained to coordinate elections at the designated 165 wards and 3,702 polling units within the 16 Local Government of Taraba State, which is housing a population of 2.02 million people.

 

Dr. Danladi said the electoral officer, who is in detention at Jalingo Police Division abandoned his place of assignment in Ibi Local Government and relocated to Jalingo where he took cover and was arrested.

 

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