The Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission, ADSIEC, has met with political parties with active presence in the state as part of the preparations for local government elections scheduled for next month across the 21 local government areas.
During the meeting at the ADSIEC state headquarters on Tuesday, the commission affirmed that the election day is July 13 as a culmination of activities, including the start of the campaign on Thursday, June 6 by the parties intending to field candidates.
According to the election timetable released earlier on Monday, June 3 by ADSIEC, June 13 has been fixed for the resignation of public officers wishing to contest in the election for either councillors or chairmanship positions.
”June 22-23 has been identified for primaries of participating political parties; while the collection of nomination forms and submission of completed forms are to be done between June 24 and 25 and June 26-29 respectively.
During the meeting with leaders of the political parties, ADSIEC Chairman, Mohammed Umar, assured the parties that they would all have free playing ground.
The ADSIEC chairman later stressed this during an interaction with newsmen, asserting that as a former official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and with assurances of a free hand from Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, he was sure ADSIEC would conduct the July 13 council election creditably.
In the course of the ADSIEC-Political parties meeting, the state chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Council, IPAC, Bello Babajo, expressed optimism that ADSIEC would indeed conduct a transparently free and fair council election.
“Based on what we see on ground, we have a belief that this election will be free, fair and credible,” the IPAC chairman said.
