Taraba: INEC schedules Jan. 13 for Ardo Kola bye-election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has slated January 13, 2018, as date for the bye election into Ardo Kola state constituency, following the declaration of the seat vacant by Speaker of the state Assembly, Mr. Abel Peter Diah.

The member, who was elected during the 2015 general election to reprent the state constituency, Mr. Emmanuel Dame, had died, last month.

INEC Administrative Secretary for Taraba State, Alhaji Muhammad Umar, who disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting, in Jalingo, on Thursday, said that the process for the election would commence immediately the the notice of election which is slated for December 8th while campaigns would end on the January 11, 2018.

Umar said that parties were to conduct their primaries between December 9th and 16th while December 19th was the last day for the submission of forms CF001 and CF002 at INEC headquarters in Abuja.

However, the stakeholders in the election compromising of representatives of all the political parties, the security agencies and others unanimously kicked against the date saying that it was not feasible for them.

The state chairman of the People’s Democratic Party PDP Mr Victor Bala said that the stakeholders had met earlier to decide that February 10th, 2018 was a better date, advancing reasons of festivities and other administrative issues that would hinder adequate preparations by the parties to participate in the election if it were scheduled earlier.

Bala said that his party, the PDP, was already going in for a national convention which would bring about a change of leadership and the new leaders would not have even settled into office before the date of the election, thereby making it difficult and almost impossible for the party to do the needful for the election.

He urged Mr. Umar to communicate the position of the stakeholders to the national office of INEC with passionate appeal for a rescheduling of the election for the consensus date of February 10th, 2018.

Umar assured the stakeholders that their request and appeal would be taken to the commission’s headquarters and any development would be communicated to them but insisted on proceeding with the current time table.

Feel Free To Comments Here...