12092018 - APC PRIMARIES: Gov kick against conditions for consensus candidate

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 —43
By Egufe Yafugborhi
SUPPORTERS of Senator
Magnus Abe’s governorship
aspiration in Rivers State are
banking on the use of direct
primaries to circumvent what
they claim is the plot by the
Rotimi Amaechi-led All
Progressives Congress,
APC, in the state to shut out
their man from his
aspiration.
Abe, who after his reelection
to the Senate, drifted
away from the Amaechi camp
was the first to declare his
governorship aspiration to
the chagrin of many
members of the group.
The Rotimi Amaechi-led
caucus at a major
stakeholders’ meeting in
Lagos, penultimate week,
endorsed billionaire oil
trader, Tonye Dele Cole, as
the group’s choice for the
governorship.
Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who
was a major contender and
flew the ticket of the party in
the 2015 election quickly
gave in to the collective
choice and gave his support
for “his brother” Cole.
Abe has, however, acted
*Amaechi
Rivers: Abe hopes to
outsmart Amaechi
through direct primary
differently.
A source in the Abe camp
told Vanguard: “I am not
aware of any meeting where
a decision was taken. I was
not invited to any meeting.
Tonye Cole is welcome to the
fold, but I am running for the
Useni’s governorship bid divides Tarok
people in Plateau
By Marie-Therese Nanlong,
Jos
TROUBLE is brewing
among the Tarok people of
Plateau State as the ambition of
the Senator representing Plateau
South Senatorial zone, Jeremiah
Useni, to take over the
governorship seat on the
platform of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP in 2019,
is tearing the people apart.
Septuagenarian Useni, a Tarok
from Langtang North Local
Government Area is earnestly
seeking to unseat Governor
Simon Lalong despite concerns
of age and health challenges. He
has been campaigning and
meeting with relevant
stakeholders to ensure he
emerges successful at the
primary and general elections.
He has purchased, filled and
submitted his nomination form,
promising that if elected, he
would ensure that the lost glory
of the State is restored. Among
those he has contacted for their
support is the umbrella body of
the Tarok Socio-economic and
cultural organization, Ngwang
Ishi O’Tarok, NIO, where he
assured his kinsmen of his ability
to deliver on his promises.
Other Tarok sons in the race
Apart from Useni, there are
other Tarok sons like Victor Lar,
Ibrahim Ponyah, Jimmy Cheto,
Samuel Jatau, and Samuel
Abashe among others, who are
vying for the seat. However, a
group, Tarok Elders Forum, TEF
said it has consulted widely and
endorsed Useni as the Tarok
consensus candidate for the seat.
The elders in a statement by
their Chairman, Selcan Miner,
and Secretary, Danjuma Rimdan,
while endorsing Useni, said:
“The emergence of a plethora of
eligible aspirants of Tarok
extraction for the gubernatorial
race in Plateau State has
generated some concern within
the generality of the Tarok people.
The leader and elders had
therefore engaged the different
stakeholders and carried out
broad consultation within and
outside the Tarok Nation,
especially with the wider Plateau
State family with a view to settling
down on and putting forward a
single aspirant to the good people
of Plateau State for consideration
and support.”
Yet another group, Tarok
Progressive Youths Association,
TAPYA, the umbrella body of Tarok
youths, said the elders’
endorsement of Useni is biased
and unfair to other Tarok aspirants.
The youths at a press briefing
by its President, Lohnan Samson,
and Secretary-General, Singa
*Abe
Zhattau, flayed the elders’ action
saying it is of no effect as the Tarok
Elders’ Forum had been
disbanded since March 28,
2008.
They stated: “As young people
of the Tarok Nation, we do not
often trade words with our
elders as part of our age-long
values of respect for age.
However, that will cease to be
the case in the face of any action
by the elders, which is capable
of jeopardizing the future of both
the youth and the Tarok Nation
at large.
“We wish to place on record
that the Tarok Elders Forum
hitherto inaugurated by the
Ponzhi Tarok, His Royal
Majesty, Mr. Edward Zhattau
(of blessed memory), was later
disbanded by the Paramount
Ruler on March 28, 2008 at
NBTT Jos, and could not have
issued a press statement on the
emergence of a “consensus
aspirant” as far as the
gubernatorial aspiration of the
Tarok nation is concerned.
“We are not unaware of the fact
ticket.”
The source revealed that
Abe’s hope to upstage
Amaechi’s endorsement of
Cole rested on the adoption
of direct primaries.
“You know we do not
recognise the Amaechi
imposed party. It remains
rejected by a court of
competent jurisdiction, and
we believe the Chief Davies
Ikanya-led executive
remains the authentic Rivers
APC.
“We know their antics but
the party has adopted direct
primaries, which will allow
all genuine Rivers APC
members to choose their flag
bearer and against an
obscure anointed proxy, we
know where the votes of the
people will go. Abe will win
a lawful primary, no shaking
about that.
Abe in his reflection had
added that “those who have
been endorsed and those of
us who have not been
endorsed are free to contest.
We believe there will be a
level playing field. That is
the change the party has
promised, and we hope it
would be fulfilled.”
Victor Lar *Jeremiah Useni *Simon Lalong
that there are many
gubernatorial aspirants of Tarok
extraction, who have picked up
nomination forms of their
various political parties. These
include, among others: Mr.
Godfrey Mamzhi of the SDP,
Mr. Nanzing Bako of the ANN,
Senator Victor Lar, Senator
Jeremiah Useni, Engineer
Jimmy Cheto, and Engineer
Ponyak Ibrahim, all of the PDP,
etc.,
“As bona fide Tarok sons, we
could not have jettisoned one for
the other by way of
endorsement, except where the
aspirants themselves arrive at a
consensus, which would imply
a voluntary withdrawal by the
rest of the aspirants in
recognition of the aspiration of
one person, and not the
coronation by a group of elders
as is the instant case.
“In the light of the foregoing,
we hereby make a clarion call
on all the people of Plateau State
to disregard in all respects the
statement issued by the Selcan
Miner-led group regarding the
endorsement of Useni.”
PDP: Defection
looms as govs
sideline
national
legislators
•NW not aware of such
problems—PDP scribe
By Clifford Ndujihe
LAGOS—THE
National
Leadership of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, has
feigned knowledge of friction in
the states between some
governors and National
Assembly members elected on its
platform, which could make the
aggrieved members to defect to
other parties.
There have been complaints
from some states such as Abia,
Enugu, Benue and Kogi among
others that the federal legislators
were being sidelined by the
governors, and the national
leadership has not been
honouring the promises made to
the legislators, who suffered to
keep the party afloat.
The aggrieved members
contend that the PDP national
hierarchy was dancing to the tune
of the state governors and
favouring those who recently
joined the party from the All
Progressives Congress, APC to
the detriment of the old members.
Spokesman of Concerned PDP
Youths, Chukwu Obi, said: “PDP
has agreed to meet at Legacy
House, Wednesday, to discuss
this issue. If the results are not
favourable, APC has concluded
arrangements to welcome the
aggrieved lawmakers with some
mouth-watering offers.
“The lawmakers are waiting for
the resumption date to perfect
these plans.
We have observed the
disquieting moves in some state
chapters of the PDP, which if not
checked, could cost the party not
only the governorship elections
in the states but also seats in the
National Assembly and the states
legislature. They all centre on the
maneuverings of governors to
exclude others from the party.
“The governors of the affected
states are dropping the old PDP
platforms together with old
members, who have played vital
roles so far in the party. There have been
series of meetings held to work out a list
of people, who must not be allowed to
contest the elections under our party,
PDP.
“Members who do not support these
governors’ policy of exclusion of other
party members are threatened. When
we resisted all the threats and
blackmails, the Governors and
supporters have resorted to meeting with
other political parties, and bargaining
their re-election with offers of seats in
constituencies that our party currently
holds.
“It is these meetings that are
generating the constant speculation
that our Governors would soon decamp
to the APC. These amount to anti-party
activities and we would want to draw
the attention of the National Chairman
to them so that they can be investigated
and the governors called to order,” Obi
said.
Contacted, National Publicity
Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola
Ologbondiyan said the National Working
Committee, NWC was not aware of the
complaints and would discuss them if
informed. "The NWC is unaware of the
situation. The NWC is yet to be informed
of the complaints. If there are such cases,
they will be discussed,’’ he said.