THE choice of running mate to the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Senator Jeremiah Useini in Plateau state has thrown the party into crisis, as stalwarts of the party are divided over the choice of Dr James Dalok as Useini’s running mate.
It would be recalled that the party shortly after its peaceful primary had initially settled for one Mr Benedict Shinguhul who is the North Central Vice chairman of PDP as the running mate to Senator Useini but was suddenly changed to Dr James Dalok to the surprise of members of the PDP in the states and Mangu local government expected to produce the deputy.
Irked by the development, five aggrieved people who were initially shortlisted for the position, Engineer Danladi Mwantok, Hon. Benedict Shignugul, Barrister Simon Barry, Professor Shedrack Best and Barrister Caleb Mutfwang petitioned the National Secretariat of the party and the state working committee of the party for redress.
According to a copy of the petition made available to TribuneOnline signed by the five petitioners posited that based on the available fact the choice of Dr James Dalok had been made even before the primaries began!
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“ We as an LGA we have been deceived and made to go through a needless process of democratization which has today left our party, not just in Mangu but the entire Plateau in the state of disillusion and despondency.
“Without a doubt, our state party chairman Hon Damishi T Sango contacted some stakeholders on the night of 13th October i.e. the eve of the Mangu LGA party meeting that produced the five of us to solicit support for his preferred candidate, Dr James Dalok. Unfortunately, he could not make the list because we honestly did not know him in the PDP.”
The petitioners who berated the party leadership in the state for being part of the problem said the even in Mangun ward where Dr Dalok comes from, he was not known to the Party there as a member of the PDP, at least as at 14th October, 2018 and wondered why the choice of non party member as a running mate.
“Finally, we wish to state emphatically that we have lost confidence in the leadership of Hon. Damishi T Sango We do not believe that it will profit the PDP to go into the 2019 elections under his leadership. It is our candid opinion, therefore, that Hon Damishi T Sango should urgently resign as the Chairman of the PDP to allow for healing, reconciliation and peaceful elections that will bring victory to our Party. Staying in opposition for another four years, when the political barometer favours the PDP, is not worth it,” They posited.
When contacted over the development, the State Publicity Secretary of the party Mr John Akans said the party was not in the procession of any petition from any aggrieved person over the choice of running mate.
He said:” we have not received any petition from anybody but we have read in the social media that some people are aggrieved. Based on that, the Mangu people and other necessary party organ are handling the issue, it is not a big deal, we are not in crisis.”
