By Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The coalition of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship and councillorship candidates in Plateau State has called on the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to urgently announce and conduct the 2026 Local Government Council elections before the expiration of the tenure of the current elected councils.
The coalition made the call on Wednesday during a press briefing at the NUJ Press Centre in Jos, led by Hon. Sylvanus Dashe Datong.
The candidates said they had been following developments surrounding the conduct of the local government elections with concern, expressing fears that failure to conduct the polls before October 10 could create what they described as a “constitutional vacuum” in the state’s 17 local government councils.
According to the coalition, the current elected local government structures were inaugurated on October 10, 2024, following the local government elections held on October 9, 2024.
The candidates therefore argued that the tenure of the current elected structures would expire on October 10, 2026.
They called on PLASIEC to take immediate steps to conduct the elections and ensure continuity of democratically elected local government structures.
The coalition cited constitutional provisions guaranteeing a system of democratically elected local government councils, as well as relevant provisions of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2024.
It urged PLASIEC and other stakeholders to take the necessary steps to avoid a situation in which the tenure of the existing councils expires without replacement structures in place.
The candidates also called on the Plateau State Government to provide all lawful support required by PLASIEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
“PLASIEC should make deliberate and conscious efforts in the next nine days from today and conduct a free, fair and credible local government election in Plateau State to avoid throwing Plateau democracy into chaos,” the coalition said.
The coalition further urged all relevant stakeholders, political parties and lovers of democracy in the state to support efforts aimed at ensuring the timely conduct of the elections.
PLASIEC had previously released timetables for the 2026 local government elections, with the commission initially scheduling the polls for September 9, 2026.
However, the election did not take place on that date, and as of September 30, the commission had not announced a new date.
The PDP candidates said they remained prepared to participate in the election and urged PLASIEC to provide clarity on the new timetable and date for the polls.
The coalition’s position comes as the October 10 deadline for the expiration of the current elected local government administrations approaches.
