By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
Taraba state Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku, has said that all political parties have the right to partake or not in the Local Government Elections.
The Governor was commenting on the boycott of the elections by the strong opposition party in the state, All progressive Congress APC.
“Every political parties have choice on either to partake in the Local Governments Elections”
The State Independent Electoral Commission had earlier announced that Seventeen political parties are partaking in the Local Government Elections.
The Governor join thousands of residents of Takum local government area of the state to vote in council executives who will pilot the affairs of the council areas for the next three.
The governor while casting his vote, discribed the election process as peaceful and transparent, stressing that the voters turnout was impressive.
” Before coming to my polling unit I have gone to observe other polling units and I can tell you that the process is peaceful and transparent, I have also heard from my deputy who is voting at Gassol LGA and he said everything is going on peaceful and other places have also reported peaceful conduct of the exercise so I can tell you it is all peaceful”
Contrary to the insinuation that council executives were imposed on the people against their choice by the government, the governor stressed that the selection process of the party’s flag bearers was transparent and consensus were reached even at the primaries to avoid crisis.
” I am the Father of democracy I can never allow the imposition of candidates against the will of the people, that why right at the primaries we decided to go by consensus so as to avoid crisis and the people decided who should represent them”.
Governor Darius who has been away from his home town Takum since his re-election as governor of the state in 2019 expressed concern over the communal crisis that have ravaged the region in the recent times.
He said the government and all the security agencies have been work round the clock to bring lasting solution to the crisis.
” I have often tell my people to give me peace and I will give them development because when there is no peace there won’t be any meaningful development” he said.
In a similar development, the State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed appreciation to people of his Ward, (Baking Dutse), Ardo – Kola local government and the State at large for coming out to vote the party in local government elections.
He stated this while speaking with newsmen shortly after casting his vote.
He said that he is confident that the party would clear all the seats and that victory would be for the party.
According to him, Taraba state has been PDP since inception of democracy in the country.
The Chairman describe the elections as peaceful and transparent, adding that he has not received any complain of breakdown the of law and order.
Nasarawa Reporters 