As the countdown to the local government council elections in Bauchi State begins, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has voiced serious concerns regarding alleged plans by the State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) to facilitate election rigging for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The party claims that BASIEC intends to impose candidates aligned with the PDP as chairpersons and councilors.
During a press conference held at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi on Friday, Comrade Nasiru Dan-Bauchi, the party’s Secretary, spoke on behalf of Chairman Alhaji Hamisu Shira, labeling the entire electoral process as a mere charade that the SDP refuses to endorse.
The party announced its decision to boycott the elections scheduled for August 17, 2024, citing a lack of confidence in the process’s integrity. Dan-Bauchi asserted that BASIEC, tasked with overseeing the elections, would act in the interests of the Bauchi State government to orchestrate a flawed electoral exercise.
“We have been closely monitoring the state government’s actions regarding the upcoming local government council election, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling granting local councils autonomy,” he explained. “However, we fear that this so-called election will resemble more of a farce than a legitimate vote, as BASIEC is poised to carry out the government’s agenda and conduct a discredited election.”
He further emphasized that this plan aims to establish a framework where the government can install puppets to exploit local government funds, despite the Supreme Court ruling. “This is utterly unconstitutional, morally reprehensible, and poses an invitation to lawlessness that the public must resist,” he declared.
The SDP has accused BASIEC of having a predetermined agenda to exclude certain political parties from the electoral process, claiming that they have laid the groundwork for this exclusion from the outset.
Dan-Bauchi referenced the State Electoral Law of 2008, which mandates that elections in local councils be organized and supervised by BASIEC in accordance with established guidelines. He noted that BASIEC’s current actions appear to breach these legal provisions.
For instance, he pointed out that according to BASIEC’s schedule of activities for the August 2024 elections, a notice should have been issued to political parties and the public by June 7, 2004. “Yet, as of now, BASIEC has failed to provide the SDP with any notification regarding this upcoming election beyond the election timetable,” he lamented.
Moreover, he alleged that certain selected political parties might have been incentivized to participate in the elections to lend an appearance of legitimacy to the process.
“Let me be clear: the SDP will not take part in this so-called election due to these evident irregularities. As a registered political party and a key stakeholder in Nigeria’s political landscape, we condemn these actions unequivocally,” he added.
The party has called on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and relevant stakeholders to take swift action to dissolve all State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC) and empower a more impartial body, such as INEC, to oversee local government elections. This, they believe, is essential for restoring credibility to the electoral process.
