Taraba PDP Disagrees With INEC Over Date For Assembly By-election

There was disagreement between the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Taraba State yesterday, over conduct of the by-election for Ardo-Kola constituency in the state House of Assembly. 

The seat was declared vacant by the Speaker of the House, Peter Diah, on October 20, following the death of Emmanuel Dame. While INEC insisted on conducting the election on January 13, 2018, the party asked that it be shifted to February 10, 2018.

Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Victor Kona, pleaded with INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Umar, to prevail on the national secretariat of the commission to agree on the February 10 date to allow PDP conduct its national convention before settling down for the assembly election.

His words: “In the next 24 four hours, PDP will be conducting its national convention to produce new leadership. If we agree on the present time table, we may not be able to meet up because the present executive of the party cannot sign election documents. 

“We are ready to contest for the election, but our national secretariat is not ready, yet, to sign some election documents; please convey our message to the national headquarters for a more convenient date for politicians and the politics of Taraba State.” 

However, the INEC Commissioner said the communication from the national secretariat stood, and called on political parties in the state to participate in the election as planned. He, nevertheless, promised to convey the communiqué of the stakeholders’ meeting to the national secretariat for consideration.


By John Mkom