The coalition of opposition parties in Bauchi State, on Sunday, said that they would not participate in the Local Government elections scheduled for Monday (today), accusing the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) of imposing conditions that would make fair participation impossible.
At a Press Conference held at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi, Ladan Salihu, Spokesman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the parties reached the resolution after reviewing BASIEC’s guidelines, fees and timetable.
The coalition, which faulted the legal basis for the poll? said the election is being conducted under the State’s 2008 Electoral Law as reflected in BASIEC’s guidelines, arguing that it contradicts the 2026 Electoral Act.
“This has produced a weak and questionable legal foundation for the conduct of these elections,” Salihu said on behalf of the coalition.
The spokesman of the ADC listed three major grievances, including, what he called excessive nomination and administrative fees despite State funding of the exercise. Secondly, a compressed timetable that gave parties only July 15-17 for primaries, July 22-24 to collect forms, and July 27-29 to return them, leaving little time for screening and dispute resolution. Then a directive that all forms be processed only at BASIEC Headquarters in Bauchi, which he said, imposed additional transport and financial burdens on opposition parties.
Salihu alleged the ruling party already had access to Government resources and time to prepare, while opposition parties rely on voluntary contributions.
He further claimed that some opposition parties might have been contacted, cajoled, or even induced financially to participate and lend credibility to the process.
“It is a principled rejection of political manipulation, financial exclusion, and an electoral process that does not guarantee free, fair and credible election.
“We hereby announce our resolve to boycott what we consider a kangaroo election”, the opposition coalition declared.
Instead, the coalition said it would redirect resources to mobilisation and party building.
The coalition called on BASIEC to correct the imbalance, saying: “Should BASIEC fail to do so, we will be left with no option but to take whatever further action we deem legitimately necessary”.
