Local Government elections in Plateau State are to hold on February 25, 2014.
The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC fixed the new date after the exercise had been postponed three times.
Chairman of the commission, Peter Dalyop, said that there were unexpected difficulties during the production of critical election material. He, however, expressed optimistism that the new date would stand, in spite of the challenges facing the commission.
The PLASIEC Chairman said, “In a short while from now, all our electoral materials are going to be in store. That being the reason why we did this shift, I can tell you that it’s now been surmounted, we don’t have that problem again.”
Stakeholders, including youths, candidates and party leaders held a joint meeting with the Police, ahead of the polls, during which the State Commissioner of Police, Chris Olakpe warned that the Police “would not tolerate any youth causing confusion by snatching ballot boxes or hijacking ballot boxes”.
The representatives of the parties expressed their willingness to cooperate with the Police and the electoral commission towards a successful election.
The last election in Plateau State was in 2008, and it snowballed into sectarian crisis that engulfed the city of Jos and environs with quantum destruction of lives and property. Since then, efforts to conduct different elections at different dates have failed.
