PDP Excluded from Plateau Northern Senatorial Zone Rerun Election, IPAC Threatens Boycott

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not participate in the upcoming rerun election for the Plateau Northern Senatorial zone.

This revelation was made by Mohammed Haruna, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of the North-Central geopolitical zone, during the inspection of sensitive materials for the election in Jos, the State Capital.

Haruna cited a Supreme Court ruling in Labour versus INEC that disqualifies parties and candidates from participating in rerun elections if they were initially disqualified.

He emphasized that INEC is bound by the court’s decision and is committed to upholding the law.

In response, Abubakar Dogara, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in the state, stated that IPAC’s position is that either PDP participates in the election or all parties boycott it.

He noted that the Court of Appeal had previously ruled that all political parties should participate in the election.

Dogara expressed concern that the exclusion of PDP from the election was not communicated to them until two days before the scheduled election, despite assurances from INEC that the list of participating parties would be provided earlier.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining peace on the Plateau and expressed a preference for peace over elections that could potentially disrupt the fragile peace in the region.

The exclusion of PDP from the rerun election has raised tensions, with IPAC threatening a boycott if PDP is not allowed to participate, citing the Court of Appeal’s previous ruling.

As the election date approaches, the situation remains tense, with stakeholders closely monitoring developments in the lead-up to the polls.