By Umar Abdulai, Minna
No fewer than 60 registered opposition political parties in Niger State under the auspices of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) of Nigeria, have threatened to boycott the Local Government Councils election schedule for July 31, 2019 over ‘unresolved issues’.
Some of the unresolved issues from the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), according to the IPAC state chairman, Alhaji Mamman Garba, included the short notice given to political parties to prepare for the election.
The chairman, who made the declaration, while addressing journalists after an emergency meeting of the IPAC, however, called for a shift of the election to a later date to enable opposition parties prepare for the overall success of the exercise.
Mamman also faulted the imposition of administrative charges by the NSIEC, insisting that it be completely removed and, one hundred thousand (N100, 000) and Twenty thousand Naira (N20, 000) charges for chairmanship and Councillorship aspirants, respectively.
The IPAC state chairman said that he would also want the three years tax clearance imposed as pre-conditions before eligibility to contest the chairmanship and Councillorship seats be tempered with mercy to ensure fair play and wider participation by credible candidates.
A situation whereby the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has finalized arrangements towards the election before passing the information to other participating political parties in the state, Mamman said, was unacceptable and insisted that the date be reviewed.
He therefore called on Nigerlites to remain calm as efforts were being made by the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria to ensure a level playing field for the overall developments of the electoral process in Niger State.
