How Plateau Ex-Deputy Speaker, Deputy Speaker Connived With Plateau APC Chairman To Impose Unpopular Chairmanship Candidate In Kanam

Yakubu Busari

An All Progressives Congress, APC, Chairmanship aspirant in Kanam Local Government of Plateau State, Abbas Adamu Wokdung , has accused the Deputy Speaker of the Plateau Assembly, Saleh Sehu Yimpong, the former Deputy Speaker Babayo Yusuf Adamu, as well as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Latep Dabang of conniving to impose a unpopular candidate without their concern.

In the protest letter, the Chairmanship Aspirant Aspirant alleged that irregularities marred the primaries in Kanam Local Government Council of Plateau State held on the 18th November 2017, an election which said was declared inconclusive leading to destruction and smashing of ballot papers during the accreditation.

In their protest letter signed by Hon Abbas Adamu Wokdung, aspirant for Kanam LGA, Alh Musa Isa Musawa, agent to Hon Abbas and Chief Shem Damisa, the APC stakeholder Plateau state made available to the media explained that Dengi APC primaries held  Dengi multipurpose Hall was purely meant for the 13 electoral Wards and 24 LGA executives, the exercise was at the point of accreditation turned into violence and was disrupted and rescheduled.

However, the group led by Hon Abbas Wokdung accused former Deputy Speaker, RT  Babayo Yusuf Adamu Gagdi and Rt Honourable Speaker Saleh Shehu Yipmong of conniving with the State Party Chairman, Hon Latep Dabang of imposing unpopular candidate without their knowledge.

According to the statement, most of the executive’s list disappeared in Dengi and this caused crisis which erupted due to the changes in list causing confusion and pandemonium at the Multipurpose Hall.

They told journalists that as the meeting was reconvened in Pankshin LGA through a text to stakeholders for a closed-door meeting with all the delegates including Wards executives and LGA executives and that the chairman announced that delegates should set for primaries.

It was disclosed that one of the aspirants, Mr. Idris Musa Suleiman escaped through the crowd for fear of not to be arrested by security operatives.

The statement noted that when the committee Chairman Arc Pam Dung Gyang asked the party chairman, Alh Nuhu Musa Gyambari to bring forth contestants for the election he presented only two aspirants as mentioned above, there was no protests or complaints of any kind from any other aspirant which is an indication of a collective agreement giving way for the exercise to commence forthwith.

“We have evidence that Mohammed Abdullahi Barau as at the time of the exercise in Pankshin youth center was still a holder of Deputy Director personnel with Local Government service commission “, the statement revealed.

The group alleged that as soon as the voting was about to commence they discovered that the list of eligible voters has been altered and substituted or deleted from the original delegates names which sparked up the violence.

While responding to the protest letter, the Deputy Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Saleh Shehu Yipmong said it is baseless and an unfounded allegation, adding that it was a peaceful conduct of accreditation.

He said the group should embrace peace and move the council forward as they are now going about blackmailing the ward executives which they are yet to have them.

Yipmong cautioned against inciting statements that are capable of bridging the fragile peace they are currently enjoying but charged them to come together and support the person that won.