The Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) has refuted claims made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleging intentional exclusion from the upcoming local government elections scheduled for November 8, 2025.
In an state-transformer-theft-arrests/” title=”Six Arrested in Niger … for Daring Transformer Theft: Police Crack Down”>official statement released in Jalingo and signed by the commission’s secretary, Barr Eyamu Yaro, TSIEC clarified that the APC voluntarily opted out of the electoral process following extensive consultations with all registered political parties in the state, including the APC itself.
The commission highlighted that the disagreement stemmed from the APC’s refusal to purchase nomination forms, demanding that these be distributed free of charge. The party also threatened legal action and subsequently abstained from participating in further election-related activities outlined in the revised timetable.
The statement further detailed an incident on Friday, September 26, 2025, around 2 p.m., when the APC’s state secretary, Mr. Fidelis, unexpectedly arrived at the commission’s office during candidate screening, presenting files purportedly containing the party’s candidate list.
This move puzzled the screening committee, as records confirmed that neither the APC nor any of its prospective candidates had procured the mandatory nomination forms. This requirement is stipulated under the Taraba State Appropriation Law 2025, which mandates the commission to generate a minimum of N50 million from form sales to fund the election and deposit the proceeds into government accounts.
TSIEC emphasized that the APC’s actions appear to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt the electoral process, having consciously decided against participation by not purchasing forms or encouraging its members to contest.
By waiting until the deadline for form sales had passed, the APC’s assertion of being excluded from the election is unfounded and appears to be a tactic aimed at creating confusion.
Contrary to reports in some national newspapers-excluding LEADERSHIP-that suggested the commission rejected the APC’s candidate list to bar the party from the local government chairmanship and councillorship elections, TSIEC maintains that no such rejection occurred and that the APC’s claims lack merit.
