The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its supporters in Plateau State staged a protest at the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters on Wednesday, alleging the exclusion of the party from the upcoming re-run election scheduled for February 3, 2023. The protesters, mainly PDP youths, demanded evidence of the PDP’s inclusion on the ballot for the Plateau North Senatorial District and Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, where the re-run would occur.
Rumors circulated earlier that the PDP and its candidates might not participate in the re-run polls following a Court of Appeal judgment nullifying the elections in the two constituencies. The Court based the nullification on the absence of a structure for the PDP, which nominated Senator Simon Mwadkwon for Plateau North and Musa Agah for Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.
Addressing INEC officials, the Director of Youth Campaign for the PDP, Joshua Hitler Pwajok, sought clarification on the rumored exclusion, expressing concern about potential unrest on Saturday if the matter remained unresolved. In response, the Deputy Director of Administration and Head of General Administration of INEC in Plateau State, Bisi Ajala, assured the protesters that INEC remained neutral and promised to forward their complaints to the INEC headquarters for resolution.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) announced plans to deploy 5,300 men and officers for the re-run and by-elections scheduled for February 3, 2023. NSCDC spokesperson Afolabi Babawale stated that personnel deployment would be based on threat analysis, emphasizing the need for voters to exercise their franchise without fear.
