Photo: Sen Jonah Jang.
Jang: It’s APC in Plateau that has no structure, not PDP
A former Governor of Plateau, Sen Jonah Jang, has said that it is the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state that has no party structure in Plateau, and not the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contrary to the recent judgments of the Court of Appeal against PDP.
The former Governor made this known on Tuesday in Jos while commenting on the Court of Appeal’s judgments, which annulled the election of Gov Caleb Mutfwang and all PDP lawmakers members from Plateau in both the National and State Assembly during a reception held for Rep Dachung Bagos.
Rep Bagos (PDP-Jos South/Jos East federal constituency) was one of the PDP members, whose elections were controversially nullified on the curious ground that PDP in Plateau has no party structure, a case which the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain because it is a preelection issue.
Jang, who described the judgments as a “miscarriage of justice,” stressed that, on the contrary, it is APC that does not have a structure because it never held any election to choose its state executive committee.
He noted that even the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Nentawe Goshwe, was handpicked by the then Gov Simon Lalong and forced on the party, unlike the PDP, whose candidate was democratically elected.
According to Jang, Lalong ought to face dire consequences for depriving the APC of a legitimate structure by forcing the current chairman of the party on its members.
He said: “Who said we don’t have structure?In fact, it’s the APC that does not have structure because the state APC chairman did not buy any form. He was handpicked by Lalong.
“Even their governorship candidate was not validly nominated. And that’s why other members (aspirants) walked out during their congress (primaries) because there was no congress at all but they were imposed on their members.”
Sen Jang expressed his dismay over the Court of Appeal’s “travesty of Justice,” but said that even though the Appeal Court has had its say, God is the ultimate arbiter in the affairs of men.
He denied insinuations that the problems of the PDP have their roots in his intractable disagreements with Sen Jeremiah Useni, arguing that there was nothing to settle between the two of them, adding that PDP does not have any faction in the state.
Jang claimed that some members of PDP were actually moles planted by the APC.
He said: “What do you call irreconcilable differences? There was nothing to reconcile because PDP is one.
“Let me tell you, some of those elders talking about structure had one leg in PDP and the other in APC. They were moles in PDP.”
Jang insisted that the PDP obeyed the court order by organising the second congress in September 2021.
“It was there all over that we obeyed the court by conducting the second election. Even Bitrus Kaze congratulated Chris Hassan, the eventual winner.
“The Appeal Court had absolutely no reason to justify such malicious judgements against the PDP but God is the supreme judge,” Jang further said.
The former Governor, however, called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to review the cases of the national and state assembly elections.
He also expressed confidence that God will intervene in the pending appeal by Gov Mutfwang before the Supreme Court for the reversal of the Court of Appeal’s controversial annulment of the Governor’s election on the same flimsy ground.
“We have an ultimate court in heaven that will upturn all the malicious court judgements against the PDP.
“How can somebody (Lalong) who won only one local government out of six be declared senator representing the zone?” He queried.
Responding, Rep Bagos thanked Jang for his support and for remaining steadfast as the father of PDP, not only in Plateau, but in Nigeria, stressing that such was a proof of his unwavering commitment to PDP.
