The Gombe chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has taken a firm stance, threatening legal action against the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC) for its failure to conduct elections for the 11 Local Government Councils.
In a letter directly addressed to the commission’s Chairman and jointly signed by Muhammed Sulaiman Kumo, the state chapter chairman of IPAC, and 17 others, a one-week ultimatum has been issued to GOSIEC to conduct the elections or face legal repercussions.
Kumo, who also serves as the Chairman of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), expressed dismay over GOSIEC’s reluctance to release an election timetable, especially given the less than 37 days remaining before the expiration of the present caretaker committee’s tenure for the 11 local government councils in the state.
He highlighted that despite persistent appeals from IPAC, urging compliance with constitutional timelines (ranging from 150 to 30 days), the commission failed to provide the necessary election notification, a situation deemed unacceptable by IPAC.
Following extensive deliberations involving more than 18 political parties within IPAC, Kumo emphasized that they had no alternative but to issue a one-week ultimatum to the commission.
He underscored that GOSIEC must promptly release a timetable for the Local Government Election or be prepared to face legal consequences for non-compliance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the laws of the Gombe State House of Assembly.
The chairman called upon both GOSIEC and the state government to expedite arrangements for the prompt and fair conduct of local government elections in the state
