Just In:Taraba LG Polls: Ishaku To Inaugurate Newly Elected Chairman Thursday

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State will on Thursday inaugurate the newly elected Local Government Council Chairmen.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hassan Mijinyawa confirmed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Mijinyawa noted that the ceremony will be performed at the Government Lodge, in the Takum area of the state at 12 noon.

He, however, warned that planned participants must “adhere to Corvid-19 protocols such as physical distancing and wearing of face masks.”

Governor Ishaku’s spokesman explained that the “Protocol Department of Government House has been mandated to ensure observance of these protocols by those who will be attending the ceremony.”

This comes shortly after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all the 16 chairmanship and 168 councillorship positions in the council’s polls.

You will recall that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won all 16 chairmanship and 168 councillorship positions in Taraba State.

The election which held on June 30 was earlier slated for February 10 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 political parties indicated interest to contest for the chairmanship and councillorship polls in the state, but the All Progressives Congress (APC) withdrew its interest citing lack of proper preparation to field its candidates.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Philip Duwe while briefing journalists in Jalingo, the state capital.

Duwe noted that only three (AA, APGA and PDP)  out of the 17 political parties indicated interest to contest for chairmanship positions in the state, while the remaining political parties also fielded candidates for the councillorship positions.

Reacting to allegations on why the APC withdrew its interest, Duwe said that any party is at liberty to do same with reasons best known to them, insisting that no party was maligned.

Giving details of the scores by parties in the chairmanship polls, the state electoral boss explained that all councillorship results were declared at the council wards level and would be brought forth to him for further declaration.

According to him, immediate issuance of Certificates of Return to democratically elected candidates has commenced without delay.

A breakdown of the results from one local government to the other shows that the PDP won by 80.7% in Ardo-Kola LG, 97.7% in Zing LG, 98.5% in Takum, 70 % in Wukari, 97% in Karim Lamido, 99% in Ussa, 95.2 per cent in Ibbi, and 99% in Gassol.

Others include Yorro LGA, 98%, with Jalingo LGA where an opposition party APGA contested and polled 2.6%, while the PDP scored 94%.

Meanwhile, in Lau LGA, the PDP won by 98.9%, in Sardauna LGA 97%, Kurmi LGA, 97.2%, Bali LGA 94.8, Donga LGA, 89.7%.

Gashaka LGA is the only council where the PDP won by 100%.

Speaking further, the electoral boss lamented that their budget for planning before, during and after the council polls was affected by COVID-19 in the state.