Gov. Jonah_Jang

By Seriki Adinoyi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State has declared that those who decamped from the party to contest against it in the 2011 elections have no moral right to use the PDP as a platform to contest for the forthcoming Plateau North Senatorial By-Election.

This is even as candidate for the Labour party in the by-elections, Hon. Lumumba Dah Adeh has said that he remains the authentic candidate of the party for the election.

The state Chairman of PDP, Dr. Haruna Dabin, who addressed the press on the subject, also told journalists that his party has two contestants for the position: Mr. Gyang Pwajok and Elder Wash Pam, and that the party shall be holding primaries for them on September 19.

Dabin, who said no party member was schemed out or denied the right to contest the party’s primary, said those behind the dangerous allegation that they have been schemed out were former party members who lost the primaries of the party in April 2011 and defected to other parties to run against the PDP in the election.

"No party member was denied an opportunity to run but there are people who defected to other parties in the 2011 elections and ran against the candidates of our party but recently claimed to have returned to the PDP.

"But none of them have formally returned by following the laid down procedures. The party closed its registration one month to the congress, after the congress I have not seen any application of anyone wishing to return. And if they applied as being rumoured and the party accepts their return, they are to be placed on one year probation before they can contest on the platform of the party.

"It is morally wrong for them to return to PDP, having jettisoned the party and fought against it on the platform of other political parties. It is high time politicians embrace principles in pursuant of their aspirations,” he said.

Dabin said the late senator was not re-elected in 2011 because he hailed from Riyom local government, but that he was elected and flew the flag of the party based on merit.

“Wherever the PDP finds a suitable material to present for election, it has the license to do so. Riyom alone cannot produce a Senator; it has to be in conjunction with the other local governments within the zone; more so no aspirant picked the PDP nomination form Riyom.”

On the by-election to fill the position of the Barkin Ladi constituency of state House of Assembly, Dabin said only one contestant, Mrs. Gyang Fulani, wife of the slain Assemblyman picked nomination form.

Meanwhile, Adeh said that the party has not chosen Dr. Danladi Atu as its candidate as he (Adeh) contested the seat with the Late Senator Dantong on the same Labour Party platform in 2011 and the rules of the party has it that since he did not leave the Party and has not declined the offer to contest, the party would not have given the ticket to another person.

He said if voted in, he will continue the good works that the Dantong started, describing the death of the lawmaker as sad, and stressing that the late Dantong was passionate about peace returning back to the state.

He also pledged to deliver on the promises he made in 2011 to provide jobs for the youths and power for the villages and portable water for the urban and rural settlements, adding that as the flag bearer of the Labour Party:  “I am set to drive the zone into the social, political and economic mainstream in order to catch up and reap the benefits of a fast changing and expanding global system.”