Plateau south and their quest to stop Governor Jonah Jang

Plateau south and their quest to stop Governor Jonah Jang Okechukwu Jombo ,Plateau South’s quest to stop Governor Jonah Jangs anointed candidate for the 2015 gubernatorial seems to have thrown up challenges never envisaged Plateau state like most Peoples Democratic Party PDP held states are facing Confusion state over imposition by their governors hence their effort to pick a consensus candidate from the Southern zone to challenge Governor Jonah Jang’s candidate for the governorship seat. But the move seem not to be going as planned as report have it that efforts by a group known as the Equity and Justice Movement to handpick a consensus candidate from the southern part of the state might not be realistic.This is because some of the aspirants are already rejecting the idea of pruning down the number of governorship aspirants from the Southern axis by a segment of the PDP elders’ forum. They are accusing the forum of taking side with one of the candidates. As such, they have opted to go to the primaries, expected to hold in December, without consensus. The Elder’s forum, under the banner of PDP Equity and Justice Movement, led by Prof. Dakum Shown, recently met in Jos, the state capital, with seven aspirants from the zone. The aspirants at the meeting were Deputy Governor Ignatius Longjan, former governor Fidelis Tapgun, former Director General of Industrial Training Fund Prof Longmas Sambo Wapmut, Senator Victor Lar, Architect John Alkali, Engineer Jimmy Cheto and Godfrey Oman Miri. This was with the view to adopting a consensus candidate. However the candidates sense foul play and belief that they are being sponsored and are playing the script of one of the aspirants to ensure his emergence. They challenged the integrity of the leadership of the forum, for that reason five out of the seven aspirants are opting out of the consensus deal on the grounds that the position and action of the elders’ forum failed in the very basic sense to be subjected on any foundation of credibility and transparency. They further belief rightly or wrongly that the criteria they intend to adopt in selecting their preferred aspirant remains unknown to them and unacceptable. Longjang and Lar are the two top contenders for the group’s endorsement, but majority of the members are plotting for the emergence of Longjang for selfish gains. Those against the choice of Lar argued that he lacks acceptability in his home front, Langtang. Some members of the group from his locality were said to have given the movement the impression that Lar would be difficult to sell to the electorate and compelled to opt for Longjang, who, according to the source, was favoured because he is the present deputy governor and could easily be presented to the electorate as someone with the knowledge of the workings of government. Some of the elders also believed that if Longjang, who is seen as humble and over 70 years old, eventually emerges as governor, he can easily be manipulated and some of them can be relevant in the corridors of power. But when the speculation on the choice of Longjang filtered to the other aspirants, some of them, who believe they have the capacity to win the primaries, vowed to reject any selection not done on the basis of transparency, a development that is presently fueling the speculations that a consensus candidate may never emerge from the zone. Even as the confusion continues the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in the state, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has said that the APC in the state has not selected any of the four contestants as a consensus candidate. Dalung who is reacting to a report which indicated that Alex Kwapnoe, another governorship aspirant, could serve as the party’s consensus candidate, said it was wishful thinking for anyone to think that the party had anointed one of the four contestants at this time. While speaking to newsmen in Jos, the governorship hopeful said, “if there is any consensus reached it could be the figment of the imagination of a great dream of an individual who woke up from his bedroom and dreamt that he was taking oath of office as a governor so he addressed the press to say he was already there. The reality of the situation is that the APC must be more democratic than the PDP to be able to win power. So even if we are going to do consensus, it must be the consensus of the contending interests.” He however said getting a consensus candidate was not completely ruled out as the four contestants are quite understanding and recognise that each one is competent to lead the state, adding that they will be prepared to go into the primaries if that fails. Outside party lines elders of plateau south ahead of the 2015 governorship primaries have started mapping strategies with the principal purpose of producing a consensus candidate from Plateau South Senatorial District of the state. It was gathered that the Council of Elders from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state on recently held a secret meeting at the Jos residence of Jeremiah Useni, which lasted several hours. The meeting, which was between PDP Equity and Justice Movement, also had in attendance seven governorship aspirants of the PDP, all from Plateau South. They included the Deputy Governor, Ignatius Longjan; a former Governor, Fidelis Tapgun; a former Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Prof Longmas Sambo Wapmut; Senator Victor Lar; Architect John Alkali; Engineer Jimmy Cheto; and Godfrey Oman Miri. In the meeting guidelines and principles are being introduced to the gubernatorial aspirants in view of having one of them emerge as a sole candidate from the South to challenge Governor Jonah Jang’s anointed candidate, G.N.S. Pwajok. The Southern zone, within last few weeks, has been spitting fire over alleged planned efforts by Governor Jang to impose the senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Pwajok, on the people as the next governor. Pwajok and Governor Jang, who hails from Du in Jos South Local Government Area, have decided to swap positions, a development that is facing stiff protest. This, according to report, is in the interest of justice, equity and fair play. They argued that the 2015 governorship ticket ought to be zoned to the Southern zone, pointing to the fact that the Central and Northern zones have had their shares, leaving the southern zone.