PDP, NNPP, others to boycott Katsina LG poll

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and others have resolved to boycott the local government elections scheduled for this Saturday in Katsina State.

Chairman of the Katsina State Electoral Commission, Lawal Faskari, disclosed that only five political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Accord Party (AP), Boot Party (BP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the African Action Congress (AAC) – would participate in the election.

Faskari, however, assured that all preparations, including training of 20,000 ad-hoc staff and distribution of election materials had been completed.

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Daily Trust reports that the NNPP has cited “exorbitant” nomination fee as the primary reason for boycotting the election.

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Confirming the party’s position in an interview with newsmen, the NNPP state secretary, Tijjani Zakari Kafinsoli, said the fee imposed by the KTSIEC was too high for the party.

“The KTSIEC has fixed N3 million for chairmanship and N1 million for councillorship candidates,” Zakari-Kafinsoli said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar, has established an election tribunal ahead of the poll.

A statement by the Chief Registrar of the Katsina State High Court, Mustapha Hassan Ruma, said, “Pursuant to the Powers conferred on the Chief Judge by the provision of sections 79, 81, (1) & (2) of the Local Government Council Election Law No. 4 of 2002, the Hon. Chief Judge has approved the Constitution of Local Government Election Tribunals to hear and determine election petitions that may arise from the local government councils’ elections.”