2011: The race begins on the Plateau

Former Governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Dariye

By Jude Owuamanam
Friday, 11 Jun 2010

The recent verdict of a Jos High Court, which upturned the suspension of the Prof. Dakum Shown-led executive of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State might have opened a new vista on the political landscape on the Plateau.

For one, the governorship election and the choice of who occupies the Oval Rayfield office have turned out to be quite interesting for not only are the people anxious to decide who governs them, outsiders are also very much interested in who governs Plateau State.

In the heat of the political crisis in the state, a group, led by Chief Emmanuel Mangni, had formed a parallel faction, which came to be known as PDP2. The group was backed by politicians such as a former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu; a former Sports Minister, Mr. Damishi Sango, and the immediate past governor, Chief Joshua Dariye.

With the tacit support of the national secretariat of the party, especially the National Working Party, officials of PDP2 had convinced the NWC to suspend the state executive led by Shown and appointed a caretaker committee headed by Chief Abu King-Shulluwa. The caretaker committee was working towards congresses in all the local governments in the state, when the court judgment threw a big spanner in their works.

In his judgment, Justice Mohammed Sirajo said that the NWC was not empowered to dissolve the state executive of the party without ratification by the National Executive Committee.

The presiding judge had also contended since the Shown executive was elected for a period of four years, the party could not give with the right hand and take with the left hand” what rightfully belongs to them, stressing the decision to push them aside on the pretence of sudden and emergency circumstance did not arise.

The judgment threw the camp of PDP2 in disarray in spite of the fact that the group had appealed against it. The PDP’s problems were also compounded by the order of the state command that its office should be shut.

Shulluwa was forced to relocate to Abuja where he told our correspondent that he had gone to make consultations with the national leadership of the party on the next line of action to take. He said as far as he was concerned, no court directed the police to shut the group’s office.

The acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, said in a statement in Jos that both sides should maintain the status quo and explore all legal options open to them.

The acting police commissioner warned that the command would not hesitate to visit the full weight of the law on any person that violated the order.

A source at the police headquarters told our correspondent that Aduba, who was acting on the orders of the Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, had reasoned that the problem could worsen the situation in the state, which had witnessed several violent crises.

In spite of the crisis in the PDP, some aspirants are hoping that they could use the confusion in the PDP to ride to power. Among them are a former sports minister, Mr. Damishi Sango, a retired civil servant, Jimmy Cheto; Senator John Shagaya; Dariye’s former aide, Mr. Chris Giwa; a former transition committee member of Jos North Local Government Area, Dr. Danladi Atu, a former governorship aspirant under the Action Congress, Mr. Pam Dung Gyang and another retired civil servant, Mr. John Alkali.

Sango is also said to be drawing support from some powerful northern governors who are said to be aggrieved because of what they perceived as Jang’s lack of will power in handling crises in the state.

Apart from these men, another powerful contender is a former Attorney General and Commissioner, Mr. Yusufu Pam, who is said to be enjoying the backing of retired General Olusegun Obasanjo and Theophilus Danjuma. Pam is Obasanjo’s alternative to Jang whom he has fallen out of favour with.

The reckoning of this camp is that Pam, who is Jang’s Berom tribesman, would be made to finish the second term of Plateau North. But the camp is being opposed by people, who argue that the position is not zoned to the Berom, but to the northern zone that comprises the Anaguta, the Jarawa and other minority groups.

But another camp believes that zoning will not bring out the best governorship candidate in 2011 and is, therefore, arguing that the candidate should come from any of the three senatorial zones. This group is said to be rooting for a former governor of the state, Mr. Fidelis Tapgun, who is from the southern zone.

According to one of his loyalists, who preferred anonymity, “Even if we have to go by this zoning arrangement, the southern zone has Chief Solomon Lar, who was not allowed to complete his second term and Tapgun, whose tenure was truncated by the military. So he should be allowed to complete his first term of four years at least.”

There is also an Obasanjo/Danjuma alliance to stand behind former Attorney General of the state, Mr. Yusuf Pam, a scion of the late Col. Pam dynasty. The duo have been a constant source of support and strength for the family of their former military mentor.

Apart from this, Jang’s recent comments on the zoning arrangement of the PDP, have led a series of activities on the political scene with many aspirants from all zones ready to contest the governorship poll. He was also quoted as saying that President Goodluck Jonathan is free to contest the 2011 presidential election.

But Jang, who obviously is aware of all plans to ease him out, has taken moves to solidify his position. Basking in the recent court decision sacking the PDP caretaker committee, Jang has started to reach out to opposition members and pacify them.

He has reopened the Plateau State University , Bokkos, which he closed down immediately he assumed office. He has also reinstated the university’s Vice- Chancellor, Prof. John Wade, and all principal staff. To get the civil servants on his side, he ordered the re-absorption of all the civil servants who were sacked on account of taking part in a strike.

The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Edward Pwajok, said that he believed that Jang deserved a second term in office. According to him, the court judgment has cleared the way for Jang to contest under the PDP. It has also reinforced the need for the party members to close ranks to ensure that the party wins the 2011 election.

Indeed Pwajok’s view was reinforced by the thinking of the party members who convened a stakeholders’ meeting on May 3 to reappraise the situation in the light of the Shown-led executive’s victory. At the end of the meeting, they agreed that the party needed to put the past behind it to move forward.