Chairman, Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission, Mr Philip Duwe.
The Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission in a statement on Tuesday announced that the local government election in the state will be held on 18th November, 2023.
The statement also requested political parties to submit names of their candidates at the commission’s headquarters in Jalingo.
Political parties have until 7th November, 2023 to indicate interest in participating in the election and to submit names of candidates, according to the notice signed by the Chairman of the Commission, Philip Duwe.
Mr. Duwe told newsmen that the commission has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ease the processes of the election.
He said the Commission deemed it necessary to liaise with INEC in terms of getting production of the electoral materials needed for the success of the polls.
“We are ready for the election but not absolutely ready, we must seek authority from INEC to get the materials they produce”, he said.
Mr. Duwe said that TSIEC wants to complement the vision of Mr Kefas, who is desirous of a local government system that is efficient and constitutional.
“The governor does not believe in Caretaker or Sole Administrator management which are not in the Constitution.”
Mr. Duwe, who said information was key, added that journalists are critical stakeholders hence the need to involve them in the course of what TSIEC is doing and disclosed that the commission have met with 18 registered political parties in the state where they agreed on a date for the conduct of the election.
“The leadership of Intra Party Advisory Council (IPAC) would be supervising the Political Parties on the entire processes, we have also issued a Time Table to guide them”.
On the electoral umpire’s assurance that votes of the electorates count, Mr. Duwe said election results would be declared at the polling units, then to the ward collation centres before heading to the local government collation centres.
He also revealed that about 2,000,000 registered voters would be participating in the polls, adding that the Commission has done an assessment based on the number of registered voters per senatorial district.
“There are 168 electoral wards with about 3,650 polling units across the 16 local government areas of the state”,
The SIEC boss, however, revealed that the commission wants to customise the ballot papers by senatorial district and if possible by local government to solve the problems of results and ballot papers’ diversion from one zone to the other.
Meanwhile, the notice of the election time table disclosed that 17th September, 2023 is the commencement of campaign by political parties, 25th to 30th October, 2023 is scheduled for holding of political primaries, 2nd to 4th November, 2023 will be for the sales of Forms.
In the same vein, 7th November, 2023 is the final day for the submission of nomination forms, 8th to 9th November, 2023 is for the screening of candidates submitted by parties for elections, 10th to 11th November, 2023 will be for the publication of screened candidates.
However, substitution of candidates, if any and screening of the same will be on the 12th to 13th November 2023, submission of names, passport photographs and address of party agent and polling units assigned will be on the 14th to 15th November, 2023. While the end of election campaign will be on the 17th November, 2023 and election hold on 18th November, 2023 respectively.
Chairman, Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission, Mr Philip Duwe.
The statement also requested political parties to submit names of their candidates at the commission’s headquarters in Jalingo.
Political parties have until 7th November, 2023 to indicate interest in participating in the election and to submit names of candidates, according to the notice signed by the Chairman of the Commission, Philip Duwe.
Mr. Duwe told newsmen that the commission has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ease the processes of the election.
He said the Commission deemed it necessary to liaise with INEC in terms of getting production of the electoral materials needed for the success of the polls.
“We are ready for the election but not absolutely ready, we must seek authority from INEC to get the materials they produce”, he said.
Mr. Duwe said that TSIEC wants to complement the vision of Mr Kefas, who is desirous of a local government system that is efficient and constitutional.
“The governor does not believe in Caretaker or Sole Administrator management which are not in the Constitution.”
Mr. Duwe, who said information was key, added that journalists are critical stakeholders hence the need to involve them in the course of what TSIEC is doing and disclosed that the commission have met with 18 registered political parties in the state where they agreed on a date for the conduct of the election.
“The leadership of Intra Party Advisory Council (IPAC) would be supervising the Political Parties on the entire processes, we have also issued a Time Table to guide them”.
On the electoral umpire’s assurance that votes of the electorates count, Mr. Duwe said election results would be declared at the polling units, then to the ward collation centres before heading to the local government collation centres.
He also revealed that about 2,000,000 registered voters would be participating in the polls, adding that the Commission has done an assessment based on the number of registered voters per senatorial district.
“There are 168 electoral wards with about 3,650 polling units across the 16 local government areas of the state”,
The SIEC boss, however, revealed that the commission wants to customise the ballot papers by senatorial district and if possible by local government to solve the problems of results and ballot papers’ diversion from one zone to the other.
Meanwhile, the notice of the election time table disclosed that 17th September, 2023 is the commencement of campaign by political parties, 25th to 30th October, 2023 is scheduled for holding of political primaries, 2nd to 4th November, 2023 will be for the sales of Forms.
In the same vein, 7th November, 2023 is the final day for the submission of nomination forms, 8th to 9th November, 2023 is for the screening of candidates submitted by parties for elections, 10th to 11th November, 2023 will be for the publication of screened candidates.
However, substitution of candidates, if any and screening of the same will be on the 12th to 13th November 2023, submission of names, passport photographs and address of party agent and polling units assigned will be on the 14th to 15th November, 2023. While the end of election campaign will be on the 17th November, 2023 and election hold on 18th November, 2023 respectively.