2019: I’ll stand with APC, Buhari Even in Prison, Says Dariye

A former governor of Plateau State and Senator representing Plateau Central in the National Assembly, Joshua Dariye, who is serving 14 years jail term at the Kuje prison, in Abuja, has urged his supporters to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 general election.

Dariye, in a Press statement through his former Director General of Campaign and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Maichibi Vwarji, said he would continue to stand with President Buhari and APC even in prison.

Dariye debunked the insinuation that he has directed his followers in the state to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of his present travail.

There had been speculation in Plateau State that Sen. Dariye who was recently jailed by the Federal High Court Abuja as a result of mismanagement of N1.1 billion Ecological Fund when he was governor of the state, had directed his supporters to dump APC for the PDP ahead of 2019.

The senator, however, described the speculation as figment of the carriers’ imaginations, saying some people in the state simply wanted to catch on his current situation for cheap political gain.

The Former Governor’s Aide said, “I am aware that some people are going round the state especially Plateau Central senatorial district that they have the mandate of the former Governor Joshua Dariye that all his followers should defect to the PDP.

“I want to categorically state that Senator Dariye has not given anyone such mandate.

“It is a rumour. I am in constant touch with him. I was with him recently and after I intimated him with the rumour he mandated me and his other associates to go round the state and debunk the speculations and to tell them that they should all remain in All Progressive Congress” he said.

He explained that the present predicament of Senator Joshua Dariye was dated back to when he was the governor of Plateau State, saying the present administration did not institute any suit against him.

He continued, “When I met him recently along with two other people, this issue was tabled before him. He strongly condemned the insinuation that the present administration was behind his predicament and has done nothing to help him out of the situation.

“He stated that the matter was dated to when he was the governor of the state and directed us as his close associates to enlighten his followers and remained in APC.

“You cannot rule out the possibility that some of his followers were annoyed by the judgement but the fact still remain that the APC led government has nothing to do with his travail” he said.

The Secretary of APC in Plateau State, Alhaji Bashir Sati, said it was a figment of some people’s imagination that followers of the former governor had concluded arrangement to dump the party.

“The party is not aware of such threat. Just last week we rounded up local government tour, we were in Bokkos Local government which is the council area of the former Governor.

“What they told us was that they are missing him and we assured that all hope is not lost.

“We are not aware that anyone is making it an issue, we told them to remain calm and keep faith with the judiciary. We have the confidence that justice will be done to the case.”

Credit: Gyang Bere, Jos

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2019: I’ll stand with APC, Buhari Even in Prison, Says Dariye