The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Sokoto State has decided to boycott the local government election slated for March 27, 2021.
The Chairman of the party in the state, Hon Isa Sadiq Acida, said the party withdrawal was predicated on lack of confidence in the process.
Acida stated this while addressing a press conference at the party secretariat in the state yesterday.
The chairman further disclosed that the party took the position having lost confidence in the process leading to the election by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
The APC added that the composition of the SIEC members does not follow due process, alleging that some of the members were card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while others are cohorts of the leadership of the government in the state.
“Recent happenings in the preparations for the forthcoming local government polls in the state have glaringly confirmed our position.
“When the state government announced the belated decision to conduct the local government elections in the state, we expect the electoral body to arrange consultative meetings with political parties for the successful conduct of the elections.
“To our dismay, however, the commission went alone and prepared their own time table convenient to them and their paymasters, which was sent to us only as information.
“One would have expected that a just umpire like SIEC should have invited political parties for their inputs before coming up with an election time table. This is a further indication of their lack of fairness and unwillingness to provide a level playing ground for political parties.
“In the light of these circumstances and after due consultations with all stakeholders of our party in the state, the Sokoto State chapter of the party has resolved not to participate in the forthcoming local government elections,” Acida added.
The party also described the local government system in the state as a total failure. “We are all witnesses to the abysmal performances of the local government administration in the state and the bastardisation of the local government system,” he added.
