Barely four days after the gubernatorial election in Plateau State was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), an observer group under the aegis of Plateau Peace Movement International (PPMI), has called on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the State, Halilu Pai to honourably resign, saying if he had conducted credible polls, there wouldn’t have been any need for a rerun.
The group equally called for the cancellation of elections in Jos North, Shendam, Wase, Kanam, Quaan Pan, Langtang South and Mikang LGAs, citing irregularities as the reason behind their call.
PPMI made their position known through Rev. Joseph Bot, while addressing journalists in Jos, the state capital.
Bot said, “We hereby call on Mr. Halilu Pai to resign honourably as the lives of Nigerian citizens surpass one man’s interest.
“Our second prayer, however, is a call for the cancellation of the elections in Jos North, Shendam, Wase, Kanam, Quaan Pan, Langtang South and Mikang LGAs.”
According to him, “If Pai and his cohorts had conducted credible polls, there wouldn’t have been any need for a rerun.”
The group also accused the electoral umpire of aiding the changing of result sheets at some local government collation centres and the INEC headquarters in Jos.
He further decried that some observers were restrained from observing in the aforementioned LGAs.
“These are among other evidences that was on display by INEC as tendencies to rig the elections as it did during the presidential and national assembly polls.
“The electorate hereby display their grievances, loss of confidence in the REC in the state (Hallilu Pai), and we may adopt every lawful approach to resist these tendencies that show outright potency to disrupt the relative peace we have all toiled for.
“And we ask in strong terms, what does it take to grant free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, irrespective of political parties/candidates,” he stressed.
