Royal rumble as Plateau APC, PDP battle for senatorial seats

The race for the three senatorial seats in Plateau State is gathering momentum and taking different dimensions; the campaigns seem fierce based on the caliber of those who emerged as candidates on the platform of different political parties but the race is more feasible between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) than in any other political parties. It is devoid of comparative advantage because the three serving senators, Jeremiah Useini, Jonah Jang and Joshua Dariye had since jettisoned the ambition of returning to the senate in 2019.

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Senator Jeremiah Useini, representing Plateau South, has picked the gubernatorial ticket of Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Jonah Jang recently lost out as presidential aspirant of the PDP while Senator Joshua Dariye was recently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment thus, foreclosing his intention to return to the senate.

Those who picked the senatorial tickets on the platform of APC and PDP respectively, on the Plateau, are former Comptroller General of Immigration, David Paradang, former Imo State Commissioner of Police  who are for PDP and  for APC? Hezekiah Dimka, former deputy governor of Plateau State, Ambassador Ignatius Longjan, Barrister Peter Kefas Lar, Hon. Istifanus Gyang and former Secretary to the State Government, Rufus Bature.

The emergence of the candidates has been a subject of discourse and quite a lot of people perceived this as a minus to the state. They argued that the act of lawmaking goes with experience, saying that one term was not enough to master the rope. A former federal lawmaker, who did not want his name in print said going by the modus operandi of the  National Assembly, those going in for the first time might not head committee or be a force to reckon with until they prov themselves.  “It will be a minus to the state; none of the them, apart from Gyang, who is a member of House of Representatives has legislative experience at that level. They have to learn the rope and rudiments.” he said

Plateau Central

The senatorial district is made up of  five local governments comprising Mangu, Pankshin, Bokkos, Kanke and Kanam. Former Comptroller General of Immigration David Paradang is contesting on the platform of the PDP, while former Imo State Commissioner of Police, Hezekiah Dimka, is running on the platform of the APC. Both Paradang and Dimka hail from Kanke local government area of the state and are new to politics but defeated seasoned politicians who contested for the tickets of their respective parties. There is the likelihood that the votes of the Angas speaking people of Kanke and Pankshin might be splited between the two but they will have to test their political prowess and popularity in Mangu, Bokkos and Kanam local government areas. In these council areas the influences of their parties might be a determinant factor.

In Bokoss, both the APC and PDP are well rooted but the influence of the former governor of the state Senator Joshua Dariye in this council area, cannot be dismissed despite his present travail. It would be recalled that the former governor recently sent words to the zone and the entire state from prison, instructing the people, especially his supporters to vote for APC in all elections in 2019 though, analysts perceived this as a ploy to pave the way for his pardon but if his supporters adhere to his order and instruction, people in the area might vote for the senatorial candidate of the APC. But the situation is quite different in Mangu local government, the the PDP is more rooted in this council area  while APC should not be taken for granted, but there is the likelihood that PDP candidate might win the local government.

In Kanam, the swinging pendulum might berth in favour of APC. Nigerian Tribune findings revealed that the people are angry with the PDP for its refusal to zone the ticket of House of Representatives, involving Panshin, Kanke and Kanam, to the local government.

Plateau North

This zone comprises six local government areas; Jos North, Jos South, Jos East, Bassa, Barakin-Ladi and Riyom, the Berom conveniently occupy three local government areas and this, over the years, has continued to place them at vantage position to determine who represents the zone at the red chamber. The candidates of APC and PDP, Rufus Bature and Istifanus Gyang are Berom from Barakin-Ladi local government.

Apart from these Berom enclaves of Barak in-Ladi, Riyom and Jos South council areas, there are significant number of Hausa/Fulani in parts of Jos North and Bassa local governments. The general impression is that the Beroms are predominantly PDP while the area is also considered as a stronghold of the PDP. Both Bature and Gyang will have to use their personal influence to get the support of their kinsmen but there is the likelihood that Gyang might have an edge over Bature because of the influence of his party in the area.

In Jos North local government, which has a lager concentration of the Hausa/Fulani, Rufus Bature being an APC candidate, will definitely get the nod of the people and while the chunk of other settlers in the council might embrace the candidate of PDP, there is the possibility that the same scenario might play out in Bassa local government. The local government, like the Berom enclave has been under the siege of Fulani herdsmen and the people seem not to be happy about what they call lackadaisical posture of the APC led administration in the state and federal levels to their plight.

Though, Plateau North is considered as a  stronghold of PDP, its influence is, however, being threatened by the invasion of gunmen which had sacked many villages and displaced the inhabitants. Many of them are in various IDPs camps without voter  cards. In spite of the recent moves by the government to return them to their ancestral homes, it is dicey if the state government,  in conjunction with the security agencies, can achieve this before the election.

Plateau South

The six council areas in the senatorial district are Langtang North, Langtang South, Mikang, Shendam, Qua’Pan and Wase. Both the gubernatorial candidates of PDP and APC,  who is for which party? are from the zone, precisely from Langtang North and Shendam respectively. The major contenders for the senatorial seat are the former deputy governor of the state, Ambassador Ignatius Kaigama and Barrister Peter Kefas Lar.

Nigerian Tribune findings revealed that there is a growing animosity among PDP members in the zone. Some stalwarts of the party and the electorates are questioning the rationale behind the over concentration of candidates in Langtang North. They posited that the gubernatorial candidate of PDP, Senator Jeremiah Useni, House of Representatives candidate, Hon. Beni Lar and senatorial candidate Barrister Lar are all from Langtang North local government.

Checks in the zone revealed that electorates from other local governments have the  been clamoring for adjustment and some PDP stalwarts in particular have been mounting pressure on the leadership of the party to address the lopsidedness in order not to jeopardize the chance of the party in all the elections in the state. A source close to the party told Nigerian Tribune there is a threat by a cross section of party members to dump the party if the issue is not resolved on time; particularly they want Peter Kefas Lar substituted while some want the status quo maintained. This has polarised the party.

In APC, the dust over the way the former deputy governor of the state, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, was humiliated by her defeat in the senatorial primary is yet to simmer. Mrs. Tallen, who was one of those who played active roles in the emergence of Governor Lalong as governor of the state and also a close ally of the first lady, Aisha Buhari, was defeated by another former deputy governor of the state, Ambassador Ignatius Longjan, who was allegedly supported by the governor.

However, with all these hiccups, the race between Longjan and Lar is on, the former has considerable influence across the state, this coupled with the support of Governor Lalong and disenchantment of members of  PDP on overconcentration of governorship, House of Representatives and Senatorial candidates in one local government, might give him an edge over the PDP candidate. Though Lar is not   a sookee in the politics of the state  he has an uphill task ahead of him.