Gentlemen of the press.

I take inspiration from the great Martin Luther King Jr. who, in his book: A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right”- Martin Luther King Jr.

True, we have all the responsibility to take certain decisions at times that may seem not palatable but such decisions if not taken do have the potential to return or set us back to our dark ages.
Plateau has witnessed a lot politically and we are at the verge of yet another history making. How well we take and use such opportunities remains to be seen or heard. There’s hope, only when we rise to see the sun shinning. Darkness remains if we bow down our heads in pride instead in shame!

Our successes can only be counted when we all collectively appreciate and value the role of everybody in the quest to regain power come 2019. “We”accept that “our” mistakes were all collective in our failure to retain and control power in 2015 following the decimal outing that attended that general election.

The upcoming Plateau PDP Congresses: A litmus test

The Plateau People Democratic Party, PDP, is soon to conduct congresses to all the four organs of the party: Ward, LGA, State, Zonal and the National levels. This is by far one of the most outstanding party function that prepares the ground for an effective electioneering. It’s considered foundational because there lies the strength of the party; and if the foundation should have any crack it becomes a bad signal that our aspiration and desire to retake power come 2019 would have been put on crutches.

It’s on the strength of this that I make bold to state my candid position on the charade that’s being hatched to rewind the ugly incidences that attended our collective failures both at the state and the national levels in the 2015 general elections. Agreed, in Plateau, PDP had the brighter chance to have retained power. What happened remains a political mystery that most of us were yet to come to terms with. The reality being that we were on a self injury, and it came and we now cry!

There had been accusations and counter accusations, some of them have basis and some don’t. As a party we do not only need rethink our actions but we must have a true surgical reflection on what when wrong, where and how? Certain actions we took must be subjected to true scrutiny to allow for a party that will be ready to take over the reins of power come 2019. Before and well after the decisions taken, some believed the party fell into the hands of a highly syndicated cabal that muscled and wrestled out power from the party and thereby rendering the party ineffective at all levels of campaigns. Speculations were also rift that most of what took place owed its failure to those who were responsible for coordinating the campaigns and yet failed to have achieved success. They were political neophytes who’s idea of winning an election was first stuffing their pockets with seductive power and wealth! And we cried!

This brings me to the stark reality of the so-called Press statement issued by one Clinton Garuba who ab initio claims to be writing for and on the behalf of the Distinguished Senator Representing Plateau North at the National Assembly, Sen. Dr. Jonah David Jang on the Zoning formula said to have been adopted by the Plateau Northern Zone.

Take it or leave it, Plateau State today is at crossroads! The unexpected happened last year. A State that since 1999 voted PDP suddenly voted out a PDP State Government, suggesting something went wrong or that someone was responsible for the shipwrecked!

From a glance, PDP had controlled the state and the nation for 16 solid years, making it the longest democratically elected government in the history of our nation postindependently. In the 2015 general elections the following were the results scored by the party at the state level:

• Presidential, PDP won
• Senate, PDP swept all the 3 seats
• House of Reps, PDP won 6 out of the 8 seats
• Governor, PDP lost for the first time to APC.
• House of Assembly, PDP won 13 out of the 24(later court ordered reruns not considered).

Foreclosing any reasonable thought, any neutral objective analyst would naturally ask, what went wrong? Who is to be blamed? Why and how? Many have proffered answers to these questions, but the truth remains that, majority of the Plateau people have pointed accusing fingers on the Establishment or The Authority! Their simple answer is “it was the imposition and failure to respect the feelings of the people of the state and the manipulation of a clique around former Governor Jang that cost PDP the Governorship” which people like Clinton Garuba rightly falls in.

I have been compelled to join issues on the subject matter of zoning because I am a patriotic member of the PDP haven served at different capacities to building the party. I served as Secretary of a Committee that Reviewed the Performance of the Party at the Elections of 2011 in the Northern Zone. I was also the Committee Chairman that Reviewed the Jos South Local Government Elections of 2014. The reports of the two committees indicted several people who are either elected today on the platform of the party or were appointed during the Jang government. Such was the nature of indiscipline that characterized the party and the introduction of high tech political rascality and impunity that saw to the major failure of the party at the state and national levels. Recalcitrants were promoted and shielded while loyalists bore the brunt.

I’ve asked, why the recycling? Distinguished Senator Jang promised a “Youth Take Over” governance of the state and on several occasions had said repeatedly that he would be the “Older Man” to hold any political office, elected or not in the state and the need to give the Youths a chance to take the stage. Has that changed? This explains why I drew inspiration from the great American President, John F. Kennedy who once said, “The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youths”!

On the zoning of Plateau PDP Exco positions

On the issue of zoning, Clinton Garuba who spoke for Senator Jang is not in any position to comment on the matter except if he was writing on behalf of Senator Jang. I know, and I need to be corrected, if Chris Gyang, a colleague, renowned and reputable journalist, who’s the current Personal Assistant/Media aide to the Senator(a position I once held between 1998/99) to Senator Jang has abdicated his roles and responsibility as media aide to the Senator? Or can we better say or rather imagine Clinton as a political student of Groucho Marx who once wrote, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies”- Groucho Marx

In any case, why I said I’m qualified to speak on this matter is based on my personal knowledge of the issues and my participation in some of the key events as I attempt to summarize hereunder.

On 31st March, 2016, which was the day I celebrated my 51st birthday, I escorted a friend to the residence of Francis Bot, former Chief of Staff to Governor( now Distinguished Senator) Jang to submit a list of those that had been penciled down from my Jos South local government area to attend that day’s meeting at Doi. We met quite a few personalities hanging outside and not quite 20 minutes Mr Francis Bot came out with some documents and after the usual felicitation they now proceeded to a hall where five out of the six local government party chairmen were there. I did not see the zonal chairman, of the party, Sale Adudu or some of the known faces from the zone. The State Party Secretary was there too including a former Finance Commissioner, Davou Mang.

By 1:00pm, I was at the Jos South Local Government Party Secretariat with quite a good number of stakeholders who had been invited by the party chairman, Hon. Pam Thomas for a briefing following their meeting at Francis Bot’s house. (I can’t remember seeing Clinton Garuba loitering around either at the party secretariat nor in Doi).He, Pam Thomas, told the stakeholders about the meeting and revealed how Francis Bot had related to them how, the feelings of the Senator representing Northern Zone, Dr. David Jang was on the zoning formula. He told us that the Senator would not want his name mentioned relating to the list. This was opposed to vehemently by all those who were there at the meeting. The stakeholders had protested the non-State Working Committee Member Status of the local government demanding either the position of the State Organizing Secretary or that of the Zonal Vice Chairman since they were not contesting for the StateChairmanship position. They also protested the exclusion of leaders of the local government including the Member representing Jos South/Jos East in the House of Representatives from the meeting and vowed to voice out their resentment at the 2:00pm zonal meeting at WAYE Foundation, Du.

The melo drama at DOI 
At Doi, the Jos South delegates met and re-echoed their resentment of the zoning formula though a few said we should just accept it. At the end, we left with the understanding that we shall demand for the position of either the State Organising Secretary or that of the Zonal Vice Chairman. This position was hinged on the fact that the local government deserves better status in the party than the positions allotted to her.

The Northern Zone Chairman who “remotely” chaired the meeting was livid and couldn’t hide his anger as he announced to the zone that the Distinguished Senator “Baba will unveil everything”! His position suggested to many at that meeting that “Baba” knew about the list and was capable of reading out what had been prepared by Francis Bot who chaired the meeting and Hon. Davou Mang as Secretary of the purported Northern Zone PDP meeting in his residence. In fact, the Northern Zone Chairman was handed a copy of the list there at the high table and was allowed few minutes to go through after which he was called to “preside” over the meeting.

After reading the list, the first person to commend on the list was Hon. Edward Pwajok, the Member Representing Jos South/Jos East at the NASS. He stoutly opposed the procedure for the zoning insisting it was flawed and therefore rejected it in toto. He decried the exclusion of himself and other leaders of the zone from the said meeting, a position which was re-echoed by the Secretary of the Zone, Hon. Gyang Badung, the state assistant organizing secretary. In the Melee, the Distinguished Senator from the zone responded supporting the decision of the cabal raising further fears of his “neutrality” which he had told the zone earlier in his speech. Many smelled a rat and it was all confusion not until the various local government areas were given few minutes to discuss on the proposed list. As expected, except for Bassa and Jos East local government areas, all others who spoke on behalf of their local governments and where privy to the cabal position, accepted the list “for peace to reign”! The meeting ended in a rancorous note without any vote voice or affirmation of “Yes” or “No”. In short, everything was but a stage-managed event prompting further query on the sincerity of the convener(s).

The need to be upright and truthful

” You’re not to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it”- Malcolm X.

As a staunch believer and party man, I’ve paid my dues and still paying when it comes to respect to elders and the party. However,truth must be told that if we are to rebuild our party, we need to speak the truth always. Isaiah 30:21 says, ” And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left”(ESV).

I stand with Mr. Philip Adik, a Chairmanship Aspirant of our party that, “there is a cabal trying to impose a candidate on the party”. But I take strong exception to his position that “it is a Berom agenda”! As a Berom, same with Hon. Edward Pwajok and Hon. Gyang Badung, I don’t think we have anything personal against the emergence of any body as the state party chairman. After all, no Berom is contesting that position. What I kick against is the procedure and those perpetrating such political cabalism and indiscipline to further dent the image of the party just like in the case of “the dog returning to its vomit”! If truly, such a sensitive party meeting took place, should it be at the residence of non party stalwart who’s knowledge in partisan politics is little? Is it right that a former commissioner serve as a secretary of that meeting while the secretary was skimmed out? How productive can such a meeting yield? It is planting chaos and disunity pointing to painful defeat we suffered from in the last general elections.

How politically correct for the Distinguished Senator to say that, ” the Northern Zone can produce both the Governor and the Deputy”? Is that not recipe to ignite another round of failure come 2019? We should be seen to be serious in both words and deeds! Such stereotypes got us into the mess we are today and a repeat of such should be vehemently jettisoned.

I have recounted all these for the records and I stand to be corrected on any point! Hon D. T. Sango no doubt is my political icon and mentor. I have nothing to loose should he become our party chairman, however, like many who desire that truly change should occur in the party, let the people be listened to. I have taken this pains to talk so that we could all salvage the party and rescue it from the political clutches of a few “cabal”. Let me end by quoting Malcolm X again: Usually when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change”.

Like Bonaparte “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap”- Napoleon Bonaparte.

Last Line:
“It’s not the fault of the signpost if the wayfarer sits under it” .

Let the people speak! Our common interest should be our common worry! PDP must resurrect and must be pulled from the political jaws of a syndicated cabal. We must end this era of impunity and get the political boots tied to our feet once more. For he who wears the shoes knows where it pinches!

To read Clinton Garuba’s (Jang’s aide) rejoinder to the above, see http://www.viewpointnigeria.com/re-ayuba-pam-dangwongs-accusations-jangs-aide-issues-rejoinder/