A group under the aegis of Southern and Central Unity Forum in Plateau State has called for the nullification of the recently purported election conducted to fill the vacant positions of its executives in Jos, the State Capital.
The Forum said the purported election was marred with financial inducement of the Electoral Committee alleged to have visited the residence of one of the aspirants.
The aforementioned forum is made up of over 40, 000 members, cutting across 11 LGAs of Pankshin, Kanke, Bokkos, Mangu, Kanam, Mikang, Shendam, Quaan Pan, Wase, Langtang North and Langtang South of the State.
It was established to foster unity among the diverse ethnic groups from the LGAs who are residing in Jos metropolis.
They took this position in a press statement signed by aggrieved aspirants which include Dr P.S Jurbe (Chairman), Velno Abraham (Vice-Chairman), Kenneth Homsuk (Secretary) Gloria Habu (Treasurer) , Auwal Ayuba (PRO) among others, made available to journalists in Jos, the State Capital.
It reads: “We want to categorically state that Southern and Central Unity Forum Jos, does not recognize any purportedly elected official under its name, and is urging the public to disregard anyone parading his/herself as its official until proper elections are conducted.
“We also want to bring to the knowledge of the public, some of the irregularities perpetrated before and during the purported election, which include; No number of accredited members who were eligible to vote.
“Inducement of the Electoral Committee who were said to have visited one of the aspirants at his residence.
“We strongly believe that they were induced by such a visit, to have compromised the election to the extent that the rotational process which had hitherto existed was jettisoned”, the Forum maintained.
The Forum declared that “The purported winners were never returned elected because the Electoral Committee compromise its position as umpire.
“We, therefore, warn that the purportedly elected officials should not be sworn into office.
“The election remains nullified, and all Electoral Committee members dissolved and probed.
“Another Electoral Committee should be set up by Congress to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.
“All ballot papers used during the purported election be submitted and also receipts of the Association.
“All aspirants purportedly returned elected should be disqualified from participating in future elections of the Association.
The purportedly elected officials were; Mr. Panshak John Verengkat
(Chairman), Hon. Suleiman Kwande (Vice-Chairman), Mrs. Linda D (Treasurer) Clement M. S. (Secretary), among others.