PDP Candidates Give PLASIEC Nine-Day Ultimatum to Conduct Plateau LG Elections
By Comfort Pius, Jos
Chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State have given the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) a nine-day ultimatum to conduct the 2026 local government elections, warning that failure to do so before October 10 could create a vacuum in the state’s democratic local government structures.
The candidates, under the aegis of the Coalition of PDP Chairmanship and Councillorship Candidates and led by Hon. Sylvanus Dashe Datong, made the demand on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, during a world press conference at the NUJ Secretariat Plateau State council, where they called on PLASIEC to urgently announce a fresh date for the elections.
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The coalition argued that the current elected local government structures, inaugurated in October 2024, would reach the end of their tenure on October 10, 2026, based on the two-year tenure provisions of the PLASIEC Law 2024.
They therefore urged PLASIEC to conduct the elections within the remaining nine days, warning that failure to do so could result in what they described as an unconstitutional vacuum across the 17 local government councils.
The candidates recalled that PLASIEC had earlier fixed the 2026 local government elections for September 1, 2026, but failed to conduct the polls and had yet to announce a new date.
They said they participated in their respective party primaries in March 2026 and subsequently submitted their records to PLASIEC in preparation for the elections.
According to the coalition, they had continued to maintain confidence in PLASIEC’s ability to conduct free, fair, and credible elections but were now “running out of patience” over the commission’s failure to announce a new date.
The candidates also cited Sections 19 and 23 of the PLASIEC Law 2024, arguing that the provisions require the commission to conduct elections within the stipulated period and provide for the expiration of a local government council’s tenure after two years.
The coalition also addressed the Plateau State High Court judgment delivered on March 13, 2026, concerning the tenure of elected local government chairmen.
The court had ruled that the two-year tenure prescribed by Plateau State laws was inconsistent with the Constitution and declared that elected local government chairmen in the state were entitled to a four-year tenure.
However, the PDP candidates said the judgment was subject to appeal and should not be used by PLASIEC as justification for failing to conduct the elections.
They noted that the suit was instituted by Hamisu Anani against the Attorney-General of Plateau State and argued that PLASIEC was not a party to the case.
The coalition said the PDP had appealed the judgment as an interested party, while the Attorney-General had also filed an appeal, adding that they would refrain from commenting further on the substance of the matter because it was before the Court of Appeal.
The candidates maintained that PLASIEC, which was not a party to the suit, should not rely on the judgment as a reason for failing to discharge its electoral responsibilities.
They also stressed that the commission was funded with public resources and had a responsibility to conduct local government elections in accordance with its enabling law.
“We hereby emphatically call the attention of PLASIEC, critical stakeholders, and lovers of democracy on the Plateau to the fact that a vacuum is about to be created,” the coalition said.
The candidates consequently called on PLASIEC to comply with the relevant provisions of the PLASIEC Law 2024 and make deliberate efforts to conduct free, fair, and credible local government elections within the remaining nine days.
They also appealed to the Plateau State Government to provide all lawful support required by PLASIEC to enable the commission to conduct the elections, warning of what they described as serious implications for the state’s local government democratic structures if no action is taken before October 10.
