Plateau PDP Says Gov. Lalong Promoting Impunity, Illegality and Undemocratic Tendencies

TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY (P.D.P.) PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER OCTOBER 16TH 2019

Gentlemen of the Press, Eminent Stakeholders, Ladies and Gentlemen.

On behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party leadership on the Plateau, members of the national and state assembly, elders, critical stakeholders and
loyal supporters of our great party.

I bring you greetings from this great family “the Peoples Democratic Party” (P.D.P) in Plateau State.

You will recall that the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission
(PLASIEC) conducted sham elections on the 10th Oct 2018 in 13 Local
Government Areas and excluded Barkin Ladi, Jos North, Jos South and
Riyom Local Government Areas citing “insecurity” as the excuse for not
conducting elections in these LGAs, after all the political parties who
participated in the election had conducted their primaries and painfully paid
the requisite fees for their respective flag bearer across the (17) seventeen
local government areas to PLASIEC

Gentlemen and Ladies the party was shocked on October 9th, 2019 with unbelievable and maladjusted news of Governor Lalong’s decision to swear in APC’s flag-bearers as the caretaker’s chairmen of local government areas for Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South and Jos North. This action is not only illegal, but undemocratic, unconstitutional and a full blown dictatorship
unexpected of a Lawyer who claimed to be a democrat, whom we believe his action is gearing towards disenfranchising the people by denying them the right to freedom and liberty to chose their representatives at that levels. If this act is not condemned and rejected by all men of goodwill it might be a
security threat to our existence as a people, because it is practically clear that APC has substituted democracy with impunity and are forcefully asking the people to accept this undemocratic and illegal actions. How?

You will recall also that here in this office while interacting with you, the
party have had cause to raise some concerns about some very disturbing issues in the affairs of Plateau State Government, particularly on assumption of office in 2015. The first assignment of the Governor was the dissolution of
democratically elected Local Government Council Chairmen and their Legislators and replaced them with transition committee which lasted 3 years before an election was conducted with a Kangaroo result against the wishes of majority voters.

This undemocratic exercise by Governor Simon Bako Lalong and the APC can only be described as a political circus. What worries us most is the continuous leadership failure characterized by
maladministration at all levels as a result of incompetence and non adherence to the rule of law in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. For the avoidance of doubt section 7 (1) spelt out
clearly how the Local Government Administration will be run, While these
acts of impunity have continued to rear its ugly head under Governor Simon Bako Lalong without considering the yearning and aspirations of the people,
by refusing to listen to the voice of reason by legalizing this illegality as part of his government policies. This is enough fact that the APC has chosen to govern against the wishes of Plateau people.

It is on record that Governor Lalong has reverently promised that his administration will reposition the State at all levels including the local government by ensuring that the people experience good democratic governance even with his slogan of “RESCUE MISSION” IN 2015 BUT THAT MISSION HASN’T HAPPENED INSTEAD HE MADE THINGS WORSE WITH NEGATIVE OUTLOOK. Despite Lalong’s empty promises he went on adopting the slogan of “NEXT LEVEL” Next Level Of What/ is it of impunity or failed leadership. Certainly his next level is of continuous impunity and leadership failure.

As a party, we believed that democratic governance has the practice of periodic renewal of authorization through periodic elections in genuinely seeking the consent and mandate of the people not to rule but to govern them by providing a focused, transparent and effective leadership without any air of bias where the people will have unflinching hope and faith in the political leadership. Competence, skills and robust knowledge-based governance as well as accountability should be the watchword of every responsible
leadership; instead what we have today under APC is a government that runs against Nigerian constitution.

It is indeed tragic today that despite the effort of our democratic founding fathers in deepening tenets and norms of democracy for the people to enjoy, it is unfortunately now being bastardized and used against the people where they cannot freely and fully celebrate their freedom and liberty because those who lead us today are opportunist not democrats who practice what Late Fela
Anikulapo Kuti used call “DEMO-CRAZY” not Democracy which is very typical of Plateau State today.

We commend and salute the courage of our State assembly representatives for standing in defense of democracy; the party SALUTES their courage, commitment and dedication to this worthy course.

In the same vain, we commend the resilience and courage of Hon. Dr. Joshua Laven (Phd) while pursuing the peoples mandate as an elected executive Chairman of Langtang North, we appreciate his effort in pursuing this victory to its conclusion, his victory is indeed a victory for democracy, we want to also place it on record that Hon. Joshua Laven (Phd) was sworn in after a long legal battle at the local government election petition tribunal that lasted for almost a year in pursuit of reclaiming the peoples stolen mandate of Langtang North Local Government.

To this end Ladies and Gentlemen as democrats we advice the APC led
government in the State to at least for once have the genuine desire and well-being of the people at heart by conducting proper democratic elections in B/Ladi, Jos South, Jos North and Riyom LGAs rather than this continued illegal and in-glorious self-help, where the government has continued to praise itself without a visible impact forgetting that the people are increasingly getting tired of this paraded self righteousness under the york of undemocratic leadership.

Thank you and God bless us all.

J.T. Akans, KSM FCAI State Publicity Secretary P.D.P Plateau State