 |
| Hon Dal addressing members of the press today |
KANAM APC STAKEHOLDERS CRY OUT, SAY LALONG WANTS TO TRUNCATE POPULAR
MANDATE
By Lovins Yakubu
August 27, 2018
The All Progressive Congress
(APC) stakeholders in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State have accused
Governor Simon Bako Lalong of undue interference and illegal attempt to
substitute Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Barau with Abbas Adamu wokdung as the chairmanship
candidate for Kanam LG in the forth coming Local Government Elections in
Plateau State.
In a press conference by the
stakeholders of the party from Kanam at the NUJ Secretariat, Jos, Hon Kalamu
Idris Dal who read the text observed that it has become abjectly imperative to address
the press on what he called negative political developments in the Local
Government as it partains the build up to the elections. According to him, “we
are compelled to issue this press release in the face of wanton threats,
overbearing political interference and attempt at perpetrating illegalities by
the Executive Governor of Plateau State Rt. Hon. Barr. Simon Bako Lalong. We
are worried by the extend of political provocation being meted out to us in
Kanam L.G.A. especially in the face of clear disregard for the rule of law and
the essence of judicial intervention. We are particular irked by the fact that
the Governor against whom our complaint relates is a Legal Practitioner who
should readily adhere to judicial processes without any advice or prompting.
Our grievance as captured by the
heading of this release stems from the recent illegal directive credited to and
confirmed by the Executive Governor of Plateau State to the APC leadership in
the State to write the PLASIEC to effect the illegal substitution of Hon.
Abdullahi Mohammed Barau with Abbas Adamu Wokdung. We are fortified in
christening the action of the governor as out rightly illegal because there is
no law empowering the Governor in his capacity either as such or in the APC to issue
the said directive or intervene in the manner sought to be done in the
electoral process for Kanam L.G.A.” Secondly, the directive by the Governor is
issued in defiance of pending judicial processes which are yet to and must be
exhausted before the right of the parties is effectually determined as regards
either the nomination or occupation of the office of the Chairman of Kanam
L.G.A. This much is even conceded on the face of the letter purportedly written
by the APC upon the Governor’s directive.
Dal added that the directive by
the governor was issued in defiance of pending judicial processes which were
yet to and must be exhausted before the rights of the parties are effectually
determined as regards either the nomination or occupation of the office of the
chairman of Kanam. He said this much was even conceded on the face of the
letter purportedly written by the APC upon the Governor’s directive. Continuing,
Dal said
“We say without equivocation that
the circumstance of the case in Kanam dictates that parties must maintain
status quo to await the outcome of the judicial processes and especially in the
present circumstance where Abbas Wokdung whom the governor prefers is the one
who first initiated the judicial process against the APC and Hon.
“Abdullahi Mohammed Barau who is
the legitimate beneficiary of the overwhelming mandate of the delegates who
voted massively for him as against Abbas Wokdung who trailed far behind him
with a wide margin of about ninety delegates votes.
“The APC constitution even abhors
the steps taken by Abbas Wokdung in the first place and it is surprising that
the Governor who is a lawyer did not sanction him but is devising means to use
the judgment of the lower court which is not only now on appeal to the Court of
Appeal Jos Division but is sought to be stayed as a justification for his
action”.
He said that for a better understanding of
their complainant against the Governor which points to a clear case of
injustice, the Dal stated the following facts which he said were apparent and easily verifiable;
That when the All Progressives
Congress (APC) commenced the process of nomination of candidates vying for
elections into various offices in the forthcoming Local Government Elections in
Plateau State, the APC family in conformity with the existing conventional
standard of zoning in Kanam L.G.A who in turn unanimously presented Hon.
Abdullahi Mohammed Barau who duly filled the expression of interest forms and
also purchased the party nomination form for the office of the chairman of
Kanam L.G.A.
He added that contrary to the
convention and the zoning arrangement, Hon. Abbas Adamu Wokdung who is of the
Khinbogghom area to which the position was not zoned, bragging of his personal
support and connection with the Governor with the aid of the Hon. Dayyabu Garga
who he said is the Governor’s maternal cousin not only contested the said
election but lost with a wide margin as a clear attestation of the resolve of
the people of Kanam against him.
“Governance on the plateau has
been reduced to family and friends as manifested in the way and manner in which
the kits and kin of the Governor meddled into the primary elections processes
in Kanam L.G.A.
“In consequence of his
presentation by the people of Tankwal Zone of the Bogghom speaking group of
Kanam L.?G.A, the said Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Barau was duly screened by the
Screening Committee, adjudged qualified and cleared to contest for the primary
elections to be conducted by way of delegates elections as stipulated by the
party constitution and the guidelines issued on the 13th day
October, 2017.
“In line with the Party
Guidelines, he embarked on aggressive campaigns throughout Kanam Local
Government Area and mobilized hundreds of delegates on the 18th day
of November 2017 who were ready to vote for him but for the violence which
truncated the electoral process at Kanam”.
Dala stated that after the
aborted primary election in Dengi, another election was scheduled on the 21st
day of November, 2017 at Pankshin and Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Barau emerged as
the most popular choice of Kanam people at the venue of the elections in
Pankshin having received the blessings of One Hundred and Seventy Two (172)
delegates as against the Ninety Five (95) delegates who voted for Abbas Wokdung
stressing that as a result of the above, he was returned duly elected and
assured of victory against candidates of other political parties being the most
popular choice and holder of the mandate of APC in Kanam LGA.
The leader of the stakeholders
further stated that despite the uncontestable facts and instances chronicled
above, a series of discriminatory tactics began to evolve against Hon.
Abdullahi Mohammed Barau who is the popular mandate as he was invited by the
Plateau State APC Chairmanship Appeal Committee and for the first time at its
sitting confronted with a petition allegedly authored by one Musa Isa Musawa
and Mr. Shem Damisa in their Purported positions as agent and Stakeholder
respectively and said to be against his emergence as the duly returned
candidate from the party primaries.
“Interestingly, Abbas Wokdung
never even authored the purported petition while Musa Isa Musawa and Shem
Damisa in their purported positions as agent and Stakeholder respectively have
no locus standi to present the petition having not contested as candidates
against him in the said primary election.”
He added that the APC
Chairmanship Appeals Committee not only went beyond their bounds in upholding
the petition written by persons who were not aspirants but purportedly issued a
directive that Abbas Wokdung who scored 95 votes against 172 votes credited to
Hon. Abdullahi mohammed Barau should be nominated instead leading to an appeal
to the State and Central Working Committees of the APC in Plateau State who
unanimously rejected the recommendation of the Chairmanship Appeals Committee
and proceeded to nominate Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Barau for the election.
 |
| cross section of stakeholders |
“It is instructive to note that
while Article 21 sub x of the provisions of the APC constitution enjoys members
not to initiate actions in court against the Party, Abbas Wokdung proceeded to
file an originating summons against the parthy and Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed
Barau and again in another surprising twist, the High Court of Justice in
Pankshin relying on the case of Matto vs. Hembe which concerns an entirely
different election conducted pursuant to the provision of the Electoral Act as
against ours which is governed by the PLASIEC law entered judgment in favour of
Abbas Wokdung.
“Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Barau
and the All Progressive Congress aggrieved by the outcome of the said judgment
immediately lodged separate appeals, the record of which has since been
compiled and transmitted to the Court of Appeal Jos Judicial Division and to
fortify and protect their rights of appeal both Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Barau
and the All Progressives Congress filed two separate motions before the High
Court seeking to stay the execution of judgment and also restraint PLASIEC and
the APC itself from effecting any substitution till the appeal is determined.
All the applications still pending are slated for hearing on the 15th
day of October, 2018 at the High Court Pankshin.
In addition to the judicial
processes identified above, hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Barau filed an application
before the Court of Appeal on the 15th day of August, 2018 when the
Governor’s illegal directive seeking to restraint the APC from forwarding the
name of Abbas Wokdung as a substitution to him pending his appeal and also to
restrain PLASIEC from accepting any letter seeking to substitute him and all
the court processes have been served on all the parties became apparent”.
He said that it has become
patently worrisome that despite the clear observance and adherence to rule of
law by Barau, Governor Lalong has choosen to tore the path of injustice in an
attempt to deprive the people of Kanam of their popular mandate.
“It amounted to a rude shock to
us when the Governor openly admitted his complicity in the injustice at a
meeting with the stakeholders on the 17th day of August 2018 with a
threat of removal of his appointees from Kanam, the APC chairman of Kanam Local
Government and also allowing the exit of the people of Kanam to defect to other
parties if they so wish.
We view the utterances of the
Governor as not only unfortunate but an insult to our individuals and
collective sensibilities.
We have taken great pains to calm
this great provocation of our supporters to avoid distasteful consequences. The
APC family in Kanam will not succumb to any intimidation to leave the All Progressive
Congress as we shall remain to make positive statements through our votes to
our detractors because we have labored to build and nurtured the party out of
our collective resolve and not the individual patronage of the Governor.”
Dal said that the Governor Lalong’s
actions and inactions in conducting the affairs of the party in the state was
not helping the party in any way as enumerated in the instances above.
“ we fear that what is happening
to APC in other states of the country may also affect us in Plateau state, hence
the need for all concern APC stakeholders to call the Governor to order to
avert looming crisis in APC family in the state.” He said
Post a Comment