THE ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ), in Borno State has expressed readiness on the Chairmanship and Councillorship elections slated to hold on Saturday (tommorow) 20th January, 2024 across all the 27 local government areas and 312 wards in the state.
This is even as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) has kicked against the process, alleging that it has no confidence in the Borno State Independent Electoral Commission (BOSIEC ), which is an outright tool and been remoted by the State Government under the leadership of Governor Babagana Zulum.
Speaking to Journalists on Friday at the APC secretariat in Maiduguri, the Chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Bello Ayuba, said, “as far as his party is concerned, the stage is set for the local government elections coming up on Saturday”.
He said due to the peaceful and transparent level of preparedness, the party has spoken to its supporters to get set for the elections, adding that, the leader of the party in the state, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has spoken to the party and urged that the elections for the Chairmanship and Councillorship in the 27 local government areas of the state should be conducted peacefully, and that all APC supporters should come out to participate in the elections.
He appealed to the electorate in the state to come out enmasse and participate in the exercise.
” It is a known fact that Governor Zulum has performed wonderfully well in infrastructure and development, and it is expected that the APC would win the 27 local government Chairmanship and 312 Councillorship elections.
” As far as APC is concern, the first step taken for the election was to talk to our teaming supporters to vote massively for our candidates, as His Excellency, the Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has done very well in all sectors of the economy in the state”. Hon. Ayuba said.
However reacting over the election process, the Chairman of PDP in the state, Alhaji Zanna Gadama, said the party has since passed a vote of no confidence on the electoral process, especially the state’s electoral body (BOSIEC).
Gadama said “even though our party, the PDP would be participating in only four local government areas of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC ), Jere, Biu and Askira-Uba, our candidates are only going for gambling, since all the APC candidates were handpicked and would be anointed by the APC- led government under the leadership of Governor Babagana Zulum. Is very unfortunate.”
He stressed that, in a situation where Chairmanship and Councillorship forms were sold at an exorbitant prices of N500,000 and N250,000 respectively, many opposition parties had to withdraw from the process, as no aspirant would want to go and waste his/her hard earned money, knowing fully well that the results of the elections have been written and ready for announcement or declaration by the state’s electoral body, BOSIEC.
