By: Valentine Adese (JP), and Paul Naomi,
The Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again raised alarm that, the Governor of Plateau State is working towards destroying the state’s Heritage by not obeying Court Orders and allegedly being in the center of the Plateau State House of Assembly ongoing crisis.
The party in a press briefing today, 15th November, 2021, at its State Secretariat, told Journalists and members of the party that, Governor Lalong has allegedly stopped, Hon. Joshua U. Laven from occupying his office as the Executive Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Council, as directed and declared by the Plateau State High Court, presided over by Hon. Justice I. Kunda.
The press text delivered and signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. John Akans, in part stated that, “We are worried that the Governor has completely abandoned governance and embarked on an agenda that will further destroy the “Plateau Heritage”.
“You are all aware that, the state has been in a state of confusion for the past two months to date, as a result of a failed leadership, ranging from the crisis in the Legislature to an attempt to stop the Chairman of Langtang North LGA from returning back to office even with a Court Judgment in his favour.
“It is sad that, Governor Lalong, a “supposed Lawyer”, who is expected to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Nigeria like his Sokoto, Rivers and Ondo colleagues, is behaving otherwise.
“Here on the Plateau, we have found ourselves in a situation of unexplainable predicament, where the Rule of Law is least observed with recklessness, abuse of the Constitution and its Laws, with judges being intimidated and harassed.
“Court orders are manipulated and given different meanings to suit the power that be in the watchful eyes of the Chief Executive ,a Lawyer, who has woefully failed to live up to expectation.
“we remind the factional leadership of the APC, led by Governor Lalong that, what they are enjoying as party in government today is because, the PDP tenaciously held onto and stoutly defended our common freedoms, liberty and rights of all Nigerians in line with the provision of the Law.
“If the PDP at federal and state levels had engaged in lawlessness, illegality and abused of power the APC couldn’t have come near leadership in the state and the country.
“We assure the people of Plateau that the PDP is poised to continue to provide focused and inspirational leadership and not this hypocritical and rot of APC’s led government”.
READ THE PRESS BRIEFING TEXT IN FULL BELOW:-
PRESS BRIEFING BY THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER ON THE 15TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2021
Gentlemen of the press, members of our great party, ladies and gentlemen
I bring you warm greetings from the leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Plateau State chapter.
On behalf of our party, I wish to address you this morning on some ungodly actions and evil plans of the Plateau State Government under Governor Simon Bako Lalong.
We are worried that the Governor has completely abandoned governance and embarked on an agenda that will further destroy the “Plateau Heritage”.
You are all aware that, the state has been in a state of confusion for the past two months to date, as a result of a failed leadership, ranging from the crisis in the Legislature to an attempt to stop the Chairman of Langtang North LGA from returning back to office even with a Court Judgment in his favour.
It is sad that Governor Lalong, a “supposed Lawyer”, who is expected to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Nigeria like his Sokoto, Rivers and Ondo colleagues, is behaving otherwise.
Here on the Plateau, we have found ourselves in a situation of unexplainable predicament, where the Rule of Law is least observed with recklessness, abuse of the Constitution and its Laws, with judges being intimidated and harassed.
Court orders are manipulated and given different meanings to suit the power that be in the watchful eyes of the Chief Executive ,a Lawyer, who has woefully failed to live up to expectation.
It is obvious that, nepotism and brigandage have taken over Lalong’s professional intelligence.
Or is it that, he is professionally incapacitated to discharge his constitutional responsibilities in line with the oath of office he swore to defend?
This is because, the events and the confusion in the State, particularly that of the State House of Assembly, where Lalong has raised a factional Speaker against the legitimate leadership of the House, and the Lantang North Local Government Chairmanship issue and his inability to provide leadership even in his party, which now has two Chairmen, (Itse Ishaya and Rufus Bature) all these have left no one in doubt that our Governor is helpless as the state is now in a pathetic situation.
Ladies and gentlemen, If government can hire hoodlums to intentionally destroy the State Assembly’s chambers, with a view to relocating the factional Speaker to the old government house for the continued illegalities, then our democracy and the governance in the state are in serious trouble.
We understand that, the main reason for doing this is to silence and deny other 12 members from discharging their constitutional responsibilities as legislators because of their firm position against illegality and impunity, as presently, their allowances have been denied.
This is indeed a clear manifestation of incapacitation exhibited by the Governor who cannot even manage his own party representatives in the House of Assembly.
It is disheartening that, we have a Governor, who can stand in the presence of God in the Church and lie to God and the people that, he has no hand in the attempted change of leadership in the House of Assembly, when it was obvious that he personally sponsored the illegal act supervised by the SGS Prof Atu and his Chief of Staff, Noel Dongjur. Fortunately for him, God’s judgment is not instantaneous otherwise, he deserves immediate stroke of the thunder for lying in the church.
Gentlemen of the press, even in the face of this imperialistic intimidation and oppressive leadership, we are pleased to inform you that on the 12th day of November, 2021, the party got a judgment at the State High Court delivered by, Justice Ishaku Kunda, against PLASIEC, which is the second case of PDP against PLASIEC on Local Government Council elections in suit No: Pl/J249CV/2021.
The Court agreed with PDP’s submissions that, PLASIEC has no power under the Law to charge and receive nomination fees for forms, and that they also have no power to collect administrative charges from political parties and their candidates.
This then means that ,PLASIEC guidelines imposing nomination and administrative fees has been nullified by the Court.
It should be noted also that, our candidate of 2018 local government election, Dr Joshua Ubandoma Laven got his mandate through the Court, as the duly elected Executive Chairman of Lantang North Local Government, for a three-year tenure to which, PLASIEC, mischievously advertised his position during its last month’s sham election and by law, he still has one year in office, which the Court has since declared that, there was no need for PLASIEC to have conducted election into the office of the Chairman of Lantang North Local Government. To this end, the Court has also declared all actions taken by PLASIEC as Null and Void.
But, the confused APC led government through its agent the Attorney General, are busy interpreting the Law upside down in their usual characteristics just to frustrate the judgment.
Even the Motion for injunction filed by the Judgment Debtors has since been struck out. Yet, Governor Lalong has refused to allow the Law and Orders of the Court to take effect.
All these illegalities have exposed Governor Lalong’s unspeakable horrors of policies of brutality, as Plateau is now on great trial and tribulations, but we will not be deterred in the valley of despair. Even though we face the difficulties of today, Plateau will rise again!
As a party, we are very determined to stand up to defend the freedom, liberty and integrity of Plateau people as enshrined in the Constitution of the FRN.
In conclusion, we remind the factional leadership of the APC, led by Governor Lalong that, what they are enjoying as party in government today is because, the PDP tenaciously held onto and stoutly defended our common freedoms, liberty and rights of all Nigerians in line with the provision of the Law.
If the PDP at federal and state levels had engaged in lawlessness, illegality and abused of power the APC couldn’t have come near leadership in the state and the country.
We assure the people of Plateau that the PDP is poised to continue to provide focused and inspirational leadership and not this hypocritical and rot of APC’s led government.
We therefore call on the Governor to rethink his mentality in the service to Plateau people Instead of becoming an emperor and a dictator.
Thank you and God bless.
Signed:
John T Akans ksm FICA JP
State Publicity Secretary
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