2023:Plateau Labour Party And Two Guber Candidate Debacles.

 

 

From Daniel Dauda, Jos

 

With barely one weeks to the official flag-off of campaigns activities leading to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria which is five months away, the lingering crisis on who become the rightful Governorship candidate of the Labour Party(LP) in Plateau State has continued to soar as Amb. Yohanna Margif and Dr. Patrick Dakum all of the former All Progressive Congress (APC) are laying claims on being the flag bearer of the party come 2023.

 

Margif a philanthropist and businessman has declared that he remains the only gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and vowed not to relinquished the governorship ticket to anyone.

 

The twist of event is coming shortly after a repeat of the party’s gubernatorial primary said to have been directed by the National Headquarters of the Labour Party recently held at Ken Palace in Jos the Plateau State Capital that produces another Candidate Dr. Patrick Dakum as its gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Plateau State a development that has since created factions.

 

Margif during a Press Conference in Jos recently firmly posited that he remains the authentic flagbearer of the Labour Party in Plateau State, having been presented with the Certificate of return after the Primary election. “My name has been in the news for quite some time. Despite all sheds of colouration, ill wishes and manipulations from high and low places, I make it bold to remind you that I am the genuinely elected gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in Plateau State.

 

“I must confess that all these plots and manipulations by desperate politicians have distracted me as I have to directly or indirectly go to the Press to counter their mischievous and misleading information concerning Plateau Labour Party,” he stated.

 

Margif further stated, “That notwithstanding, I am making known to assure and reassure our teeming supporters that nothing has changed from what happened on 9th June 2022 at Retna Suit Multi-purpose Hall Sabon Bariki Jos South Local Government Area during my Governorship primaries. On this note, therefore, I urge you all to be conscious of rumour peddlers whose business is nothing but spreading the rumour for selfishly induced gains.

 

“It would interest you to know that I have put all those baseless, unfounded allegations and fake news behind me to forge ahead with my right-time call in the interest of Plateau Citizens. I am also vying for the office of the Governor of Plateau State because I want to bequeath a good infrastructural legacy and return Plateau to the People,” he stated.

 

However, the Labour Party in Plateau State has come out to say that Dr. Patrick Sunday Dakum remains it’s only legitimate Governorship candidate and nobody else accusing the ruling APC in the State of sponsoring the crisis in the Labour Party, “This clarification becomes necessary due to the All Progressives Congress (APC) induced and crisis stocking candidate they are sponsoring to whittle the rising profile of the Labour Party in the State.

 

“The Labour Party in Plateau State warns that anyone parading himself as the party’s candidate other than Dr Patrick Sunday Dakum, is not only an imposter, but a total fraud, whom the law will soon catch up with him.

 

“It is in record that the former LP Governorship candidate in Plateau State has since been replaced with Dr Patrick Sunday Dakum in a validly conducted replacement primaries in Jos and Dakum’s name sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the authentic Plateau State Labour Party Governorship Candidate.”

 

The party posited, “Labour Party in Plateau State wish to inform it’s teaming supporters and the well meaning general public in Plateau State that the former placeholder was disqualified and expelled from the party as a result of numerous petitions, court cases, EFCC investigations, issuance of dude cheques, police and security cases, unpaid hotel bills, fraud, inability to pay for nomination forms and administration charges as spelt out by the party, disregard for party rules and regulations, being a prisoner etc.”

 

The statement dated 9 September,2022 signed by the State Chairman Hon. Grace Zamfara further stressed that, “It is worthy of note that the LP which prides itself of Justice, fairness and credibility cannot be seen to present an absentee and a fraudulent Governorship candidate, a person with dubious character who hardly fulfills promises made and a fetish individual.

 

“We advise the former LP Governorship candidate to desist from conniving with the opposition political parties to derail the fortunes of the LP in Plateau state in particular and Nigeria in general or face the wrath of the law.

 

“We are aware of the cheap political gimmick and the mudslinging antics of the opposition using the former flagbearer to reduce the acceptability and popularity of Dr Patrick Dakum to get a political mileage but the blackmail has fallen flat as this will not fly. Nigerians have totally rejected the APC and PDP, thus no tricks to dissuade lovers of the LP will work,” the party boldly stand.

 

The duo are all former squads of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Plateau State with a landmark contributions towards the growth of the APC before now with a good number of followership.

 

The fighting elephants both contested for the Governorship ticket under the APC with Margif exiting the party after picking the N50 million Governorship form of the APC following a perceived injustice and lack of internal democracy with Dakum also pursuing his ambition that ends with withdrawal from the contest also at late hour due to what he described as lack of internal democracy in the whole process that brought on board Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda as the APC Governorship candidate in the State for the 2023 general elections.

 

The State Party Chairman through Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Aware James Adara had earlier threatened to arrest any person or persons parading themselves as

Candidate of the party not known and recognized by the party ahead of the 2023 polls with reference to the House of Representative Candidature for Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.

 

He said the attention of the Labour Party on the Plateau has been drawn to the fact that certain person(s) are been parading themselves as party candidate(s) for Jos North/Bassa House of Representatives, a development that the party will not take likely.

 

“To this effect, the State Chairman Hon. Grace Zamfara and members of the Executive Council of the party in Plateau State wishes to make it categorically clear that Comrade Daniel Asama Ago is the officially returned candidate for Jos North/Bassa Federal House of Representatives for Labour Party having fulfill the requirements as stipulated by the Electoral Act.”

 

The Publicity Secretary hinted thus, “The Party strongly warn all person(s) parading themselves in anyway claiming the same position to refrain and jettison such claims as the party would have no choice other than to involve the government authorities if this continue.”

 

As things continue to unfold itself in the coming days within the Labour Party considered to be a third force in Plateau State and the country, the implications might be unimaginable towards the victory of the party in the 2023 general Elections. Only time will tell!