A group under the auspices of Concerned Elders of Plateau State has called for the postponement of the forthcoming Local government election in Plateau State scheduled for October 9,2021.
Making the call at a press conference in Jos on Wednesday, the Leader of the group and a former Commissioner in the State, Dachollom Jambol expressed the fear that conducting the council poll under the prevailing circumstances could worsen the security situation in the state.
Jambol said, “One major area of concern relates to the timing of the elections in view of the re-opening of the University of Jos for academic activities.
“You will recall that following the breach of the peace which led to the killing of not less than 38 people in the Yelwa Zangam Community, a village behind the University, while the 24- hour curfew imposed by the State government was still subsisting, state governments and parents of students across the entire country had to make emergency arrangements to evacuate their children.
“It is on record that the present government had earlier in 2018 suspended local elections in four LGAs of the Northern Senatorial District, including Jos North citing security concerns.
“We can state without contradiction that security arrangements in those LGAs have not improved but rather deteriorated. We, therefore, call on the PLSG and PLASEIC to postpone the elections until the security situation significantly improves.”
However, the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, insisted that it would go ahead with the conduct of the election as scheduled.
Speaking through its Counsel, Garba Pwul (SAN), the electoral body said; ”it would spell disaster for Plateau State if PLASIEC did not conduct the election on October 9, as planned, especially as the constitution is clear that no one can be Chairman or Councillor of a council if he/she is not elected Democratically in accordance with the law or the Constitution.”
PUNCH