Breaking: Taraba Declares Three-Day Public Holiday for Local Government Elections

The Taraba State Government has declared Monday, June 29, Tuesday, June 30, and Wednesday, July 1, 2020, as public holidays to enable residents to participate fully in the local government elections.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Darius Ishaku, Hassan Mijinyawa.

According to the statement, the work-free days were intended to allow civil servants to travel to their respective wards and take part in the election.

Governor Ishaku also urged residents to remain peaceful, law-abiding and orderly while exercising their civic responsibilities.

Seventeen political parties were expected to participate in the June 30 local government polls.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), the leading opposition party in the state, however, announced that it would boycott the exercise.

Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society organisations under the umbrella of Eyes on Democracy of Nigeria (EDON) said it had established a situation room to monitor the election.

The state chairman of EDON, Muktar Madaki, said the organisation had been observing preparations by the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) and was satisfied with the arrangements made so far.

He urged residents to turn out in large numbers and exercise their right to vote.

Madaki also called on security agencies to act professionally and remain within the limits of their responsibilities throughout the election.

He further urged TSIEC to ensure that the polls were conducted in a free, fair and credible manner.

EDON said it would publish a comprehensive report on the electoral process after the conclusion of the exercise.