Tension in Taraba as TSIEC allegedly rejects APC candidate’ list ahead of council polls
Tensions are rising in Taraba political landscape in the build up to the local government elections as the State Independent Electoral Commission, TSIEC, reportedly rejected the list of candidates submitted by the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The rejected list, which contained the names of APC chairmanship and councillorship candidates for all sixteen local government areas in the state, was officially submitted by the party’s state secretary.
However, according to the APC, the TSIEC Chairman refused to accept the submission, an action the party described as a deliberate attempt to exclude it from the electoral process.
In a telephone interview with our reporter, the APC State Chairman, Ibrahim El-Sudi, condemned the move and accused the commission of acting in collusion with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to weaken opposition voices.
“We will take legal action to stop the election if our candidates are not acknowledged. The PDP is clearly afraid of a fair contest and is using TSIEC to sabotage the democratic process. I have respect for the TSIEC Chairman, but his role in this matter shows he is no longer neutral.” El-Sudi said
The APC further alleged that the commission’s refusal to accept its candidate list is a calculated effort to ensure a one-party contest in favour of the PDP.
Attempts to reach the TSIEC Chairman for comment were unsuccessful, but a senior staff of the commission, said the electoral body is working round the clock to ensure a hitch free contest across the sixteen LGAs.
