A pressure group, Plateau PDP Youth online has said that the former Governor of Plateau State, Amb. Fidelis Tapgun has lost his salt and is not fit to comment on the ongoing judicial cases involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress as he has since 2015 pitched tent with the APC.

The group in a press statement jointly signed by the Chairman, Isa Musa Kwarshak and the Secretary, Comrade Friday Longtong and issued in Jos on Friday while reacting to Tapgun’s comments that Governor Caleb Mutfwang should not go to the Supreme Court after the Appeal Court decision that nullified his election.

The statement, said that Tapgun who took side with the Jeremiah Useni group that is sympathetic to the APC, openly declared support for the APC candidate during the 2023 election.

“It is very unfortunate, shameful, disgraceful and pathetic for a former Governor and a Minister of the Federal Republic to stoop so low and take his disdain for truth and honesty, to say that PDP doesn’t have structures while he was one of those who the Sen.Tunde Ogbeha consulted and got his blessing to conduct the repeat congress of the PDP.”

“It is pertinent to state that Amb Fidelis Tapgun has never been committed to the PDP in Plateau State, neither has he ever worked in the interest of Plateau state. He has over the years shown hatred to the PDP where he claims to belong even as a BOT Member. He has always and at all times worked for his stomach which was why he decided to sale the BARC Farms out of personal interest.”

“For the records and proper perspectives, it is very important to state that in line with the order of Hon. Justice Samson Gang for the PDP to take steps towards conducting fresh State Congress election as well as the recommendation by the Sen. David Mark and Sen Bukola Saraki reconciliation Committees for amicable resolution of the crisis, the National Working Committee of the PDP, with the consent of the leadership of the two groups in its wisdom picked four (4) persons each, from the Sen David Jonah Jang and Sen JT Useni groups as members of the CTC under the leadership of Gen Tunde Ogbeha from Kogi State as Chairman, Chief Patrick Ogbu from Benue State as Secretary and Mohammed Ndayako (SAN) from Niger State as Legal Adviser.

“Those from the Sen David Jonah Jang group were former Speaker Plateau State House of Assembly Rt Hon Istifanus Mwansat, Barr Pam Davou, Hon Jacob Adikaba and Hon Gregory Yenlong. Those from the Sen JT Useni group were former Speakers of the Plateau State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Michael Dapialong, RT. Hon. Emmanuel Goar, Hon. Akims James Mamoth and Hon. Ishaku Chuntai and they all worked together and reconciled the party and got the support of all and sundry. These include the aggrieved aspirants especially Hon. Bitrus Kaze who dragged the party to Court and secured judgement for the conduct of the fresh State Congress election as well as Mr Emmanuel Macham who later became the star witness of the APC Governorship candidate Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda despite taking part in the repeated State Congress election as ordered by the Court after loosing in the repeated State Congress election”.

The statement further stated: “It is worthy to note that few days to the 2023 Governorship election in Plateau State, Amb. Tapgun and some of the aspirants that lost in the repeated State Congress Election including Hon. Bitrus Kaze and Mr Emmanuel Macham issued a statement on behalf of the Sen JT Useni group and endorsed the APC Governorship candidate Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda but where thoroughly rejected by Plateau people who voted massively for the PDP and its candidate Barr Caleb Mutfwang who won the Governorship election overwhelmingly. Having tried everything to destroy the PDP but failed, Amb Tapgun and his gang continued with their hypocrisy, malicious tendencies and treachery against the PDP and Gov. Mutfwang by offering themselves as mercenaries of the APC and its candidate Dr Nentawe Yilwatda.”

The youth group described Tapgun as unfit to remain as the BoT member of the party as he has been PDP in the morning and APC in the night adding that his current position suggests that he is deeply in the affairs of the APC.

“The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Plateau State rightly affirmed the victory of Governor Caleb Mutfwang by affirming the validity of the repeated State Congress election and not even the unfortunate upturning of the verdict of the tribunal by the Court of Appeal is enough to dampen the high morale, confidence and believe by genuine and committed PDP members in the anticipated victory of Governor Caleb Mutfwang in the Supreme Court. Amb. Tapgun must have been rattled and unsettled by this that he shamelessly expressed his disappointment with Gov Mutfwang and PDP for approaching the Supreme Court for redress and restore the mandate of Plateau people to the PDP.

“Amb Tapgun’s advice to His Excellency, Governor Caleb Mutfwang not to approach the Supreme Court against the judgement of the Court of Appeal is akin to an irresponsible father advising his son to abandon his wife and family and ‘japa’ into oblivion because his (son) wife is sick. It is also akin to a witch advising his victim not to approach the native doctor for remedy as well as akin to Satan advising the priest/ imam to abandon his Church or Mosque for prayers with the congregation.
This is what Amb Tapgun is doing. He is also not comfortable with the popularity Gov. Mutfwang is gaining within and outside the State on account of the sterling and visionary he is providing to the State as seen in his developmental strides since he assumed leadership of the State. His commitment to uniting the People and working assiduously to bequeath a safer and prosperous State is making someone like him uncomfortable.

“We absolutely agree with Amb Tapgun in the ill motivated interview with Radio France International that ” politics is not about one individual but about people”.
But who are the people he is working with in the PDP apart from Hon. Bitrus Kaze and Mr. Emmanuel Macham?

“It is on record that Amb Tapgun has never had any meeting with PDP members in his polling unit, Ward and LGA (Shendam) for over 10 years and who are the people he is talking about? He has long abandoned the PDP and has been working with Lalong and APC in the pursuit of ethnic agenda and selfish interest to the detriment of the collective good of the PDP and it is high time that the NWC takes a drastic action against him as the PDP in Plateau State will no longer entertain or have in its fold known agents of the APC and political merchants.”, the statement concluded.

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“Tapgun Has Lost His Salt in Plateau State” – PDP Group