Plateau Postpones LG Elections Over ‘Security Threats’

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By; BUHARI B. BELLO, Jos
The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission has officially announced‎ the sudden postponement of the local government elections earlier scheduled for 17th February, 2018.  
State chairman of the commission, Fabian Ndong made this known while addressing journalists at the premises of the commission on Monday. .
He drew the attention of party executives in the state to purported communication received from ‎state executive council controlled by the ruling APC that the prevailing security atmosphere is not conducive for the exercise earlier promised by the regime.
He claimed that on the 4th of February, the commission received a letter after the state security council meeting ordering the postponement based on alleged security threat.
He revealed that the state security council in the state headed by Governor Simon Bako Lalong strongly advised that the election be shifted until a favorable security atmosphere is attained in the troubled state.
 According to him, the prevailing security atmosphere in the state cannot guarantee a peaceful local government election.
He explained that the state security council meeting told the commission to put on hold the scheduled council election earlier planned 
According to the chairman, since the commission doesn’t have the control of the security machinery in the state, it will not be proper to carry the citizens out for elections.
He said it would amount to carelessness to move the staffers on the field when the security situation is terribly bad.
The chairman explained that all materials for the conduct of the election in all the 17 local government elections were ready before the suspension till further notice.  
APC-led administration in the state under the leadership of Governor Simon Bako Lalong had received series of knocks for its inability to hold local government elections in the state since assumption in power.
Political analysts believe that the decision to postpone the exercise may not be unconnected by the alleged lack of support enjoyed by the administration in all the wards of the state.

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