The Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau South Senatorial District has asked the State Executive Council of the party to allow it produce the gubernatorial candidate as part of strategies to return power to the people come 2019.

This was part of the decisions reached during a stakeholders meeting of the District held in Shendam on Saturday.

This followed the defection of the House of Assembly member representing Mikang, Hon. Na’anlong Daniel from the party to the All Progressives Congress.

The Leader of the zone and Senator representing Plateau South in the National Assembly, Senator Jeremiah Useni, sued for unity and called on every PDP member to join hands with the executive of the party at all levels to lift the party to higher heights.

Useni reiterated that votes belong to a party and not an individual according to a Supreme Court ruling and as such the party has met and deliberated on the matter with far reaching decisions for the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Daniel.

Binchen Jantur, the Plateau State PDP Legal Adviser, in his remarks said the State Executive Council has sat down on the matter and is getting set to go to court.

Jantur said: “If PDP were to be in power, the Speaker would have simply declared their seats vacant, but now, the only option is to go to court.
“We are not taking it lightly so that others will not do the same mistake.”

The Southern Zone Vice Chairman, Hon. Simon V. Domle, said stakeholders in Mikang LGA met and wrote an official letter to the State Executive Council over the matter with the aim of getting back the PDP’s mandate, adding that the party at the Zonal level is in support of whatever action Mikang LGA PDP has taken and whatever the executive is doing to reclaim the mandate.

Domle also hinted that stakeholders in Mikang have already met and written an official letter to the SEC over the matter with the aim of getting back the mandate.

The State Secretary of the party, Hon. Damian Shekarau, in his remarks said: “Being in opposition is not easy, so as a party we must remain firm and dogged.

“By God’s grace, the crises at the national level of the party will soon be a thing of the past with the constitution of the Appeal Panel to reconcile all the cases, which has so far given judgement in favour of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led group and the Barrister Eyitayo Jegede governorship candidature in the Ondo election.”

Shekarau reiterated that a political solution is still open to be considered.

He added: “It is wrong for anybody to decamp with the people’s mandate to another party.
“As an individual, you may decamp to any party at any time, but you cannot carry the mandate of the people along with you.”

The Deputy Chairman of Qua’an Pan LGC and an elder statesman in the party, Hon. Cyril Longpuan, called for unity and cohesion in the party as elections are around the corner.

Longpuan said: “We want the southern zone to produce the next governor based on the party’s zoning formula.
“The Southern Zone EXCO should approach the State EXCO and make a definite pronouncement that the governorship seat be zoned to Plateau South Senatorial District.”

Hon. Nancwat Bendel, the Chairman of Langtang South LGC, who spoke on behalf of Council Chairmen, said there was the need to intensify efforts in raising awareness for the party, especially now that the PDP is no longer in power.

While hinting that the PDP must do all within its power to reclaim power in 2019, Bendel added that it is the turn of the Southern Zone and the PDP because Plateau State people have tried the All Progressives Congress and it has failed woefully, adding: “We must provide the better option.”

Hon. Raymond Domwam, the PDP Chairman, Qua’an Pan LGA, who spoke on behalf of the party’s LGA Chairmen, reiterated the need for public pronouncements by the SEC for Plateau South to be allowed to produce the next Governor.

The PDP Chairman, North Central Zone of Nigeria, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, while admitting that PDP is no longer what it used to be, thanked God for the taste of what being in the opposition is.

Shan added he is optimistic that the party will bounce back, especially with the end in sight of the crises at the national level.
He gave a rundown of some of the challenges the PDP is facing in all the states of the North Central Zone of Nigeria, adding that these challenges, though daunting, are surmountable with unity of purpose.

The major highlight of the meeting was the swearing-in of Plateau Southern Zone PDP Executive.

They include:

1. Mrs Jummai- Woman Leader- Shendam
2. Mr. Binkap Mamtul- Organising Secretary- L/North
3. Emmanuel Tama- Youth Leader- Mikang
4. Alh. Mohammed Bello- Ex-officio- Qua’an Pan
5. Mr. Elisha Vongpyen- Ex-officio- L/South
6. Miss Jummai Datyem- Ex-officio- L/North
7. Umar Saidu Bashar- Ex-officio- Wase
8. Miss Manji Lamtur- Ex-officio – L/South.

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Plateau South demands PDP’s governorship ticket for 2019