By Kesmen Samson Markus
During the appointment and inauguration of Hon. Plangji Daniel Cishak as the Chairman of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), I had the privilege of attending the swearing-in ceremony alongside other members of the commission at the Government House. In his speech, the Governor tasked the Chairman with conducting free, fair and credible elections. He also advised his party members to work diligently, warning them not to assume it would be business as usual, where candidates were simply selected.
Initially, I regarded the governor’s statement as a typical political promise. However, upon further reflection, I realized that, given the governor’s reputation as a man of his word, aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), would have to work equally hard to succeed.
Repeatedly, in various public forums, the Governor assured the people of his commitment to ensuring that the elections would be transparent and credible.
From that point on, I was convinced that these elections would be quite different. The commission, and especially its leader, Hon. Plangji, became the focus of public scrutiny, as many wondered if the process would be compromised as it often had been in other states.
At the time, many States had conducted their Local Government Elections, with the ruling party sweeping all the Chairmanship and Councillorship positions—elections that resembled mere selections and coronations.
This had become the norm, and few voiced serious objections, believing it was simply the way things were done.
In Plateau State, however, the situation was different. Historically, elections conducted by PLASIEC were marred by irregularities, often leading to widespread crises.
I recall visiting the commission on August 31st, 2024, where Hon. Plangji assured my friend and me that he was committed to delivering free, fair and credible elections. I studied him closely, trying to determine whether I could trust his words.
Fast forwarding to election day on October 9th, 2024, I followed the process closely and was initially disappointed, as I had assumed that the announcement of winners would followed the familiar pattern of other states. I was wrong.
To my surprise, the elections concluded with the PDP winning the Chairmanship in all 17 Local Government Areas, albeit with narrow margins in some cases. However, the Councillorship Candidate positions were won by Candidates from PDP, APC, NNPP, and YPP, unlike the one-sided results seen in other states. In fact, rerun elections were held in certain areas to determine the final winners.
Throughout the entire process, Hon. Plangji remained steadfast. Despite pressure from various quarters, including political actors, he refused to compromise the integrity of the elections.
Having observed the process from beginning to end, I can confidently conclude that Hon. Plangji did not just oversee the most transparent elections in the history of PLASIEC, but perhaps one of the most credible in Nigeria’s electoral history.
This has earned the Commission awards and recommendations from
Worldwide Youth Peace Mission (WYPEM) Nigeria Progressive Youth Congress National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Peace and Unity Organization amongst other organisations and individuals.
Honourable Plangji Daniel Cishak, has truly successfully written his name in gold!
In conclusion, I congratulate the Hon Chairman Plateau State Independent Elections Commission, Hon. Plangji Daniel Cishak, as well The Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, for setting a new record in Plateau State and indeed Nigeria.
Streetbell Online 