ELECTIONS:Taraba Electoral Commission Refutes APC’s Allegations of Bias.

By our correspondent Sept. 28, 2025. 

The Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) has dismissed claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that it was deliberately excluded from participating in the forthcoming local government elections scheduled for November 8, 2025.

The APC, in a media report, alleged that the commission rejected its list of candidates for chairmanship and councillorship positions across the state. The party’s chairman, Barr. Ibrahim El-Sudi, accused TSIEC of bias, alleging collusion with the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to sideline opposition voices. He further threatened legal action if the decision was not reversed.

But in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by the commission’s secretary, Barr. Eyamu Yaro, TSIEC said the allegations were “false, mischievous and laughable.”

According to Yaro, the APC had been part of all deliberations and planning since the release of the election guidelines. He recalled that on June 11, 2025, the commission held a stakeholders’ meeting at the NUT Secretariat in Jalingo, attended by political parties, the media and civil society groups, where the election timetable was openly unveiled. El-Sudi himself was said to be present at the meeting.

The timetable, TSIEC explained, set July 29 to August 30 for party primaries, September 1 to 5 for sale of forms, September 8 to 17 for submission of forms, and September 23 to 30 for the screening of candidates.

Yaro disclosed that the APC refused to participate in the process after disagreeing with the commission over the sale of forms, insisting that they should be issued free of charge. The commission, however, cited the Taraba State Appropriation Law 2025, which required it to raise a minimum of ₦50 million from the sale of nomination forms and remit the same to government coffers.

He said it was not until September 26 after the deadline that the APC State Secretary, Mr. Fidelis, showed up with a list of candidates, even though the party had not purchased or submitted nomination forms as required.

“Having waited until the expiration of the date for sales of forms, the APC’s claim that it is being edged out of the contest is not only false and laughable but seemingly mischievous,” Yaro stated.

The commission insisted that the APC had deliberately stayed away from the process and was now attempting to “cause mischief” by shifting blame.