After the painful experience of the last presidential election where their party lost, supporters of the PDP in Plateau State have vowed that
they would stand by the party on April 11, writes GOLOK NANMWA.
Most citizens of plateau wore
long faces when the presidential
results where being announced
in the state. Most citizens of
the state were hopeful that
President Goodluck Jonathan
would win the elections.
Although there were
jubilations in Dogo Karfe,
Gangare and the Bauchi road
areas of Jos North, the situation
was not the same in Jos South,
Riyom, Hwolse Gada Biu and
the Rayfield axis of the state
capital. The jubilant youths
surged onto the streets as the
Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, concluded
collation and announcement of
result of the polls.
In Dogo Karfe and Bauchi
road, the youths who thronged
the streets in large number,
were seen sitting or standing
in dangerously driven vehicles.
Our correspondent also
gathered that citizens of Barkin
Ladi, Langtang North, Langtang
South also were not happy over
the results. A citizen of Mangu
LGA, Katlong Danbaba, told
our correspondent that he wept
when the results were been
collated because it was obvious
that President Jonathan was
going to loose the election.
According to him “I wept
because I believe in Jonathan
and knows he has good
plans for the nation. His
transformation agenda is on
course”, he added. It could be
recalled that the candidate of the
All Progressive Congress, APC,
defeated President Jonathan in
the elections.
But despite the outcome of the
recently concluded presidential
elections, from all indications,
the Peoples Democratic Party
still stands a better chance
of wining the governorship
elections come on April 11 in
Plateau state.
In the presidential elections,
President Jonathan won
twelve out of the seventeen
local government councils of
the state, while the APC won
five local government council.
PDP won in Pankshin, Kanke,
Bassa, Jos South, Langtang
North, Langtang South,
Bokkos, Riyom, Barki Ladi
Mikang , Mangu, Quanpan,
Mikang Local Government
council. The All Progressive
Congress, APC, won in
Shendam Council Area, the
home of the APC governorship
candidate Barrister Simon
Lalong with 25,839 vote while
PDP polled 22,427 votes. In Jos
East, the home of APC Plateau
North Senatorial aspirant, Eunice
Sambo, APC led by 10,875 as
against PDP’s 8,104 votes, and
in Wase Local Government, APC
score 35,940 votes against PDP’s
11,746.
Similarly Governor Jonah Jang
of and the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) Plateau North
Senatorial candidate won the
Senatorial election to represent the
zone in the National Assembly.
According to Prof. Rodgak, the
returning officer of INEC, the
governor scored 234, 455, votes
to defeat his close rival APC’s
Eunice Ayisa Sambo who pulled
221, 274.
In the same vein, Suleiman
Kwande, member representing
Jos North/Bassa Federal
Constituency under the platform
of APC has retain his seat.
According to the result sheet made
available to our correspondent,
Kwande scored 137, 349 to beat
his closest rival Chris Hassan of
the PDP who scored 95, 515.
With this result the People
Democratic Party PDP cleared
all the three senatorial zones that
made up the state with former
Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, FCT, Gen Jeremiah
Useini (rtd) winning Plateau
Southern zone while Chief Joshua
Dariye won the seat of Plateau
Central zone.
Useni Defeated his closet
opponent Senator John Shagaya,
while Joshua Dariye defeated
Emmauel Satzhinanj of the APC.
Similarly the PDP won six house
of representatives seats in the
state.
Longsah Haggi a citizen of the
state said Plateau is PDP and
would always be PDP. According
to him, “you can’t take away
that away from people of the
state. Plateau people who love
President Jonathan will always
be with him because our heart is
with the PDP. Our fathers are PDP
and this would always be with
us”, he added.
Furthermore, Haggi said
“the results of the presidential
elections did not affect us at all.
We will come out to support our
governorship candidate Gyang
Pwaok at the governorship
elections”, he stressed. He also
said Jonathan has given the
change that Nigerians need.
He however congratulated the
president for conceding defeat
says that has made him a leader of
the PDP and a true democrat.
A Political analyst in the state, Mr
Peter Tilde, said from the results
of the presidential elections, the
PDP’s gubernatorial candidate,
Pwajok stands a better chance
of winning the forthcoming
governorship than the APC’s
candidate, Simon Lalong.
According to him “Plateau
is the traditional home of the
PDP. Solomon Lar and the state
governor, Jonah Jang and others
founded the PDP. The people of
the state would rather remain in
the opposition than to dump the
PDP for the APC”, he added.
Since the outcome of the
presidential election , members
of the party have gone back
to the drawing board and are
working very hard to deliver
their governorship candidate,
Gyang Pwajok and other House
of Assembly members. The PDP governorship candidate,
Pwajok, had recently called on
the aggrieved members of the
party who contested the party’s
primaries and lost to him to
put aside their grievances and
settle for victory in the general
elections.
“I have started reaching out to
aggrieved members including
those that did not contest
against me. We did reach out
to even those that contested
for House of Assembly, House
of Representatives, Senate
and even those that contested
governorship with me and we
will continue in that manner
till we get victory for PDP at
the governorship level”, he
said.
Pwajok reminded youths
that “the elders have
confidence in the youths and
are prepared to hand over the
mantle of leadership to us. We
should not and will not betray
the confidence”.
He called on them to avoid
the exploitation of religion and
tribe but engage in acts which
will promote peace and unity
in the state.
A citizen of the state, Logput
Micheal who spoke to our
correspondent said most
citizens of the state are not
happy about the outcome of the
presidential election because
of the love the state have for
President Jonathan. They are
therefore ready to support the
PDP on April 11. Similarly,
Daniel Kungmi, the Director-
General of the PDP campaign
organization in the state said
all aggrieved members who
have grudges should bury
their grievances and work to
ensure the party’s victory in
the forthcoming governorship
elections.
Another citizen of the state
Gonzelk Pius, said the APC
candidates in the state is not
on ground as he is still playing
politics of sentiments instead of
discussing issues. Secondly the
founder of PDP, Chief Solomon
Lar is from Plateau and the
People of the state have vowed to
not to abandon his legacies. Even
though with the victory of the
APC’s presidential candidate,
Plateau would not abandon
the party as the seventeen local
government chairmen who are
all PDP members would ensure
victory for the party this coming
Saturday, he said.
↧
As Plateau prepares for April 11
↧