Imposition, irregularities mar PDP primaries, congresses in Plateau … Exercise free, fair in Plateau North, says Mwadkwom

…NWC orders repeat congress, primaries in Shendam, Qua’an Pan

There is uneasiness in the Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP following disenchantment over the conduct of congresses for the party executives and primaries to elect candidates for the October 9 local government polls.

MiddleBelt Chronicles gathered that since the conduct of the exercise in the 17 local government areas on Thursday there had been disquiet by party members.

For instance in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area a free for all led caused a lot of injuries on some members.

It was further gathered that a lot of complaints ranging from imposition and marginalization of some strong party supporters during the conduct of the primaries seems to be what the party is faced with, at the moment.

Picture: Hon. Christopher Audu, Chairman of Qua’an Pan Local Government Area’s Transition Implementation Committee (TIC), is fighting for his life after being attacked by delegates during a primary election in Jos, Plateau state capital.The election, held on Thursday, August 15, turned violent after Audu was declared the winner, with some delegates and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters forcing their way into the hall and beating him mercilessly.

According to impeccable sources,the violence and confusion that characterized the conduct of the primaries could be attributed to those issues, since the top shots of the party felt short changed or marginalized by the party’s Secretariat, which is believed to be playing the script of a supposed cabal in the Mutfwang government.

The sources further alleged that the script well crafted by the cabal, for whatever reasons was targeted at edging out mostly former members of the National Assembly and some goons of the Party, who are considered as threats to its continued existence.

Another source revealed that looking critically at what happened during the primaries, there was more than meets the eye, judging from the fact that almost all aspirants supported by former members of the National Assembly across the State were resoundingly defeated by the cabal’s anointed ones under the guise of Governor Mutfwang’s instructions.

From example, in Qua’an Pan Local government area, Hon.Isaac Kwallu, a man regarded as the pillar of the Party in the area, lost-out completely to the supporters of the transition Implementation Committee Chairman’s bloc, which is believed to be backed by the cabal.

In the same manner, former member of the National Assembly House Hon.Johnbull Shekarau had all his candidates rejected in Shendam Local government area. A former Chairman of the local government, Kemi, Nshem, was said to have emerged as the candidate of the party in the October 9 local government polls.

The story is said not to be different from Mikang Local government area, where Hon.George Daika holds the ace, was said to have been edged out.

Also Hon.Beni Lar, the ‘mother figure’ of Langtang North and South Local government areas politics, is also now left in the cold, following the outcome of the primaries in those areas because none of her supported Chairmanship aspirants scaled through.

Also Hon.Dachung Bagos was not that lucky, because his backed aspirants could not make it at primaries in Jos South and Jos East local government areas similar to what also transpired in Bassa and Jos North Local government areas, where Hon.Sam Agah failed to install his backed aspirants as the flag bearers of his party .

Efforts to reach Lar and Daika and Bagos were not successful as at press time. Lar’s phone rang unpicked while Daika’s could not be reached. In the case if Bagos he busied his call.

One of the affected former members of the National Assembly who does not want his name mentioned, stated that what happened to them could not have been coincidence because, officials who went to conduct the primaries in the various local government areas clearly did not hide the fact that they were on a mission to return the cabal’s anointed aspirants at all cost.

According to him, the lists of the delegates used for the primaries were not those elected at the various congresses across the State but the ones constructed from “God knows where”

He threatened that “We will not allow this clear robbery, disrespect and marginalization see the light of the day” noting that “those behind this mischief are people who just joined the PDP and also leveraging the fact that they are in government”.

He added, “We are beginning to hear that wether truly or not, that the cabal and Governor Mutfwang are not sure of our loyalty in their proposed game plan which is to be executed after the Local government elections”.

Asked what the game plan could be? he said it will be premature to disclose now taking into consideration that the former members are putting their heads together to decide their line of action.

Pressed further on the line of action they might take, in the event that the Party refuses to shift grounds, he disclosed that there is no way that they will allow such grand design to stand, in view of the fact that the entire primaries “were charades” and that all options are on the table.

According to him “The governor and the so-called cabal should not forget that the APC is still a formidable force, moreso when the party is seriously tightening all loose ends to give the PDP a run for its money”.

“The executive order 003 had to be suspended, following the hues and cries by the people the people of the state as a result of the high-handedness with which the exercise was carried out culminating in the lost of lives and destruction of businesses worth millions of naira.

“Added to this is the impression that the PDP led government has not performed as expected despite the unprecedented billions of naira collected from the federation account in the last fourteen months of the Mutfwang administration in the State.

“Many people are of the view that these factors, with all things being equal and PLASIEC, the State’s electoral commission decides to conduct a free and fair elections the PDP might not find it easy during the local government elections, because the APC is still a force to be reckoned with, in the State.

However in Plateau North, former Senator representing Plateau North under the Peoples Democratic Party, Simon Mwadkwom, has lauded party members in the zone for the success of the exercise.Mwadkwom told newsmen in Jos that the party members conducted themselves very well and were able to chose their representatives and candidates without rancour.

He said the party members obeyed the instructions of Governor Caleb Mutfwang to adopt consensus to avoid bitterness and rancour

Meanwhile the NWC has order repeat of the party congress and primary elections in Shendam and Qua’an Pan Local Government Areas.

In a statement signed by the National Chairman, Umar Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, the party said it received reports of irregularities and imposition of candidates during the exercises

The party is yet to fix a date for the repeat exercise.