PDP Faults Declaration of Diket as Winner of Plateau Central Senatorial Election

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

A coalition of support groups for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decried the declaration of Mr. Plang Diket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of Plateau Central senatorial zone election, which was concluded last Saturday.

Addressing journalists yesterday, the groups said: “We are here today to express our total displeasure over the shamed declaration of one Hon Diket Plang of the APC as senator-elect of the Plateau Central senatorial district on April 15, 2023, in Pankshin. The Central Zone is known to be the heartbeat of Plateau State politics with unflinching support for the PDP since 1999. It is noteworthy that one LGA has been the clog in the wheel of the political progress of the Central Zone since 2019 National Assembly elections up till date.

“Given this last ugly development in the zone, we as a people, party, and concerned group in defence of democracy, fairness, and justice, have rejected the shameful declaration made by one purported INEC Returning Officer of the Plateau Central senatorial district in favour of the candidate of the APC as the said winner of the election for several reasons.”

Leader of the group, Mr. Gengwe Wushangka, observed that “there were pending issues raised by our Polling Units, Ward Collation, Local Government and Collation Returning Agents on the basis of irregularities uncovered in some local government areas which led to the prolonged delay to declare our candidate, Golkuna Yohanna Gotom, as the rightful winner of the elections, and these issues were not addressed by INEC but yet another date for announcement and declaration of the winner in the election was rescheduled.”

He added that “the processes leading to the purported declaration were not duly followed in line with our Electoral Guidelines and the Electoral Act. We hereby call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Dr. Jimmam Lar, a lecturer with the Department of History and International Studies at the University of Jos, who declared the so-called winner of the election for impersonation.

 “The war-like deployment of security personnel to the venue and the local government headquarters of Pankshin LGA on the day of the supposed review, sorting, collation, and declaration of the winner of the election cast suspicion on the minds of the people of Plateau Central that the outcome had been premeditated and predetermined to declare the loser in the election as the winner.”