By David Okpashi in Lafia.
LAFIA — The Local Government Elections, earlier slated for August 31st 2024,has been suspended indefinitely.
The Chairman, Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission, NASIEC,Barr. Ayuba Wandai, announced the suspension on Monday in Lafia during an emergency meeting with the Nasarawa State chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
The NASIEC Chairman, who explained that the suspension was due to originating summons from the Federal High Court, Lafia and served on the commission, added that one Mr Paul John and 12 others had draged the Nasarawa State House of Assembly and the Commission to court, challenging Section 8 (e) of the LG election Law 2018 and the elections guidelines 2024 as released by the commission.
“As a law-abiding institution, we have studied and analysed the originating summons and issues contained therein and decided to postpone the election indefinitely to face the court case,”he said.
Wandai said that the commission had directed its lawyers to apply for an accelerated hearing of the matter to enable it resume normal election activities, stressing however that all scheduled activities leading to the conduct of the August 31, 2024 LG elections has been suspended.
Responding on behalf of all political parties, Mr Cletus Ogah, IPAC Chairman in the state, commended the commission for always carrying them along in its activities.
The IPAC Chairman said that many political parties had gone far in their preparation for the forthcoming elections, based on the time table released by the commission in 2023.
He, however ,said that the political parties had no option than to wait for the commission to deal with the court case.
Our correspondent recalls that the current Chairmen and Councillors were elected on Wednesday Oct. 6, 2021 and inaugurated on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021 for three years which will terminate on Oct. 7, 2024.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
