Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
A group, the Progressives Foundation Movement (PFM) has warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may not have a valid governorship candidate in the ballot in Plateau State in the 2023 elections.
The group in a statement issued yesterday, which was jointly signed by Mr. Jacob Gyang, Victor Useni and Musa Ardo, gave the warning following the publication of Dr. Nentawe Goshwe as the governorship candidate in the state.
The group reminded the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu of an earlier petition addressed to him indicating that all other aspirants refused to participate in the purported primary that produced Goshwe as the governorship candidate following alleged irregularities and vowed to seek justice if the party fails to use the window period for substitution of candidates to right the wrongs.
It was against this background that the group said they cannot guarantee supporting the party to victory in the forthcoming elections unless the right thing is done.
The group decried the non-compliance to the party’s guidelines and alleged litany of undemocratic practices in the primary which foisted Goshwe on them.
It stated: “The case in Plateau state was completely different and in outright contravention of the APC Guidelines and Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 (As Amended).
“An unknown list of delegates was concocted in Jos, kept in Jos and was used, whereas the State Party Chairman had assured us of full compliance to the party guideline where from election of delegates was to be conducted in all the 207 Wards of the state on the scheduled date as indicated in the party guidelines. This can be verified by the INEC report on the Party Primaries in Plateau state.
“Given the last window of opportunity as prescribed by the Electoral Act (2022) as Amended. We once again reiterate and rest upon our earlier petitions on the invalidity of the candidacy of Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe and state unequivocally that unless the party takes urgent and acceptable decisive steps to address this issues, and amicably resolved same, we cannot guaranty supporting the party to victory in the forthcoming elections for the following reasons:
“That Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, was a staff of INEC until 23rd December, 2021 when he purportedly resigned his appointment, but he had not resigned his appointment from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, from where he had gone to on secondment.”
The aggrieved foundation members of APC said they painstakingly entrenched the party in the state and further indicated their respective interests to contest the Governorship of Plateau state on the platform of the APC.
