By joshua 
NASIEC sets Nov 2 for LG elections.
From Esther Akaa, Lafia
Barr Ayuba Wandai Usman, NASIEC chairman, speaking with journalists during the press conference in Lafia.
The Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission ( NASIEC) has set November 2, 2024 for the conduct of both Chairmanship and Councillorship elections across the 13 local government areas of the state.
Chairman of NASIEC, Barr Ayuba Wandai-Usman, disclosed this on Wednesday at a Press Conference in Lafia.
He stated that, the commission had scheduled the 2024 local government council elections on the 31st August, 2024, but was served with an originating summon by the Federal High Court, Lafia filed by one Paul A. John, Esq and 12 others against the Nasarawa State House of Assembly and NASIEC, challenging Section 8(e) of the Nasarawa State Local Government Election Law, 2018 and Section 9 of the Local Government Councils Elections Guidelines, 2024.
He explained that, “as a law-abiding institution that has continued to promote adherence to laws, rules and regulations governing the conduct of local government councils elections in Nasarawa State, the Commission decided to postpone the exercise indefinitely.
“Having had our day in court by emerging victorious, the court dismissed the suit and upheld all our contentions. The plaintiffs, being dissatisfied with the judgement, filed a Notice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal Makurdi but have suddenly filed a notice of withdrawal/discontinuance of notice of Appeal on Thursday 26th September, 2024, thus clearing the way for the conduct of the 2024 local government council elections.
“The conduct of the party primary elections including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries would be on 11th October to October 17, 2024, to enable the political parties democratically nominate candidates for the elections,” he said.
The NASIEC boss further said that the commencement of campaign by political parties shall begin on October 18, 2024 for both chairmanship and councillorship elections across the state.
According to him, the the election would therefore held on Saturday, 2nd November, 2024 in the 13 local government areas of the state.
Barr Wandai – Usman stated the commission’s continued partnership with the media in its collective effort to further entrench the democratic process in the state.
He , therefore called on the people of the state to support the commission in the discharge of its statutory mandate by coming out en masse to exercise their franchise and conduct themselves in a lawfully and orderly manner during and after the elections.
Earlier, the NASIEC chairman, Barr Wandai -Usman during a meeting with state’s Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), gave assurances that the commission would hold free, fair, and credible local government elections.
The State Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Committee, IPAC, Ahmed Musa, commended NASIEC’s tenacity and resolve to strengthen democracy in the state saying that political parties in the state would adhere to the current legislation and the commission’s election standards in order to guarantee a smooth election process.
Nigerian Post reports that the Commission conducted the last local government councils elections October 6, 2021 and inaugurated winners October 8, 2021 for a tenure of three (3) years which will end on October 7, 2024.