Prof Dakas
Plateau governorship aspirant says state needs governor who’ll ensure unity in diversity
Prof Dakas CJ Dakas, a frontline Plateau State governorship aspirant in the 2023 gubernatorial election, says the state needs a governor who has the capacity to promote and ensure unity in diversity among the state’s various ethnic groups.
The gubernatorial hopeful made this known in a statement on Thursday against the backdrop of insinuations in the social media, purportedly sponsored and disseminated by his political opponents, wherein they fabricated false and misleading narratives about his ethnic identity and local government of origin ostensibly to score cheap political points.
Dakas, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who is running on the platform of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stressed that any aspirant whose aspiration is driven by ethnic and sectional agenda, has no capacity to govern a diverse state like Plateau.
According to him, if by God’s grace he is elected governor in 2023, he will strive to pursue and bequeath to the people an enduring legacy of unity in diversity, service above self and transformational impact.
“I am very careful about my digital footprints, so I rarely make comments on social media platforms. However, given that some stakeholders in the Plateau Project have, regrettably, bought into the cheap propaganda being peddled about regarding my identity by political opponents and their sponsors who are chasing shadows in their vain attempt to undermine my aspiration to govern our dear state, I have a solemn responsibility to counter this false narrative.
“These merchants of falsehood are bereft of ideas and are, therefore, afraid of the contest of ideas that is the hallmark of my approach to politics and governance, so they readily resort to blackmail and spew fake news and childish tantrums.
“For the avoidance of doubt, my ethnic nationality is Mupun. However, my Local Government Area is Mangu, not Pankshin. Against the backdrop of the fact that most Mupun people are in Pankshin Local Government Area, some people have, in good faith but erroneously, assumed that my Local Government Area is Pankshin. Subject to the caveat that ignorance may be blissful, but dangerous, I do not begrudge such people,” he said.
Prof Dakas further explained that, contrary to what he described as the patently false, malicious and vexatious vituperations of his political detractors, he has never contemplated or effected a change of his Local Government Area from Mangu to Pankshin.
“My decision to aspire to govern our dear state is neither driven by nor predicated on myopic, ethnic or other sectional interests. Any aspirant whose aspiration is motivated or driven by an ethnic or other sectional agenda has no capacity to govern a diverse state like Plateau.
“What Plateau State needs in 2023 is not an ethnic jingoist or religious bigot masquerading as a leader. What Plateau State needs is a leader with the requisite integrity and capacity to harness and transform our diversity into an asset for the common good.
“If, by the grace of God, the good people of Plateau State adjudge me worthy of their mandate, I will strive to justify the confidence reposed in me and concomitantly bequeath to present and future generations an enduring legacy of unity in diversity, service above self and transformational impact,” adding, “I hope you will join me on this odyssey,” Dakas said.
We the people’s of plateau has spoken that there is no alternative than Prof CJ DAKAS com 2023