The Borno State Independent Electoral Commission (BOSIEC) has responded to claims by the People Democratic Party (PDP) that it would force any political party to participate in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for tomorrow in the state.
BusinessDay previously reported that the PDP declared it would not participate in the December 13, 2025, local government elections, citing the high costs of expressing interest and nomination forms, as well as a lack of trust in the electoral body.
Tahir Shettima, the State Chairman of BOSIEC, made this statement while speaking to journalists in Maiduguri on Friday, ahead of the upcoming elections on Saturday.
He clarified that, contrary to media reports, the commission had set the prices for chairmanship and vice chairmanship at 500K and for councillorship at 200K, after consulting with all political stakeholders, including the PDP.
He stated, ” We are prepared for the elections tomorrow. Insha Allah, we have trained the ad hoc staff and our staff, and they are now in their respective LGAS to ensure smooth and credible voting.
He further added, “We are ready for tomorrow’s elections and hope for credible and transparent results,” he noted.
He mentioned that six political parties had expressed interest in participating and that all sensitive and non-sensitive election materials had been distributed across the 27 LGAs for safety.
” We have six political parties ready for tomorrow’s elections. Our doors are always open, but if any party chooses not to participate, there is little we can do; we cannot force political parties to involve or take part in the election, ” he concluded.
