Politics
A Jos-based legal practitioner, Mr. Gyang Zi, on Tuesday said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Plateau State should be held responsible for the defeat suffered by its governorship candidate, Jeremiah Useni, at the poll.
He said the claim by the PDP that their candidate was rigged out during the election was false.
The PDP and its governorship candidate, Lt-Gen. Jerry Useni (retd), had described the re-election of incumbent Governor Solomon Lalong as fraudulent; and promised to challenge it at the election petitions tribunal.
Useni, at a Press conference last Sunday, claimed that he was “robbed” of his victory at the polls, which he said was rigged; and pledged to reclaim his mandate at the tribunal.
But Zi, who spoke with journalists in Jos on Tuesday, strongly blamed the PDP for “shooting itself down” even before the election commenced.
Zi said, “I think, from all indications, the claim by the PDP of having been robbed of the Plateau governorship should not apply, given the crisis in the party in the build-up to the elections.
“Rather, the party should blame itself for the loss, even though it has a better chance of winning the elections. It actually destroyed itself from the outset.
“Apart from the crisis arising from emergence of the party’s governorship candidate and his running mate, which was not properly managed, the PDP leadership became extremely insensitive and arrogant before the elections.
“While people were still struggling to get over the choice of the governorship candidate, the party leadership imposed a very unpopular personality on them as deputy, as a very controversial circumstance bluffing all dissented voices.
“I wish to advise the PDP and its governorship candidate not to waste their resources and time going to the election petitions tribunal, as the election has been won and lost, ’’ the lawyer advised.
Zi called on Useni and the PDP to accept defeat and boldly accept the outcome of the election and congratulate Governor Lalong on his victory.
He, however, advised Lalong to open his arms and embrace everybody and run an all-inclusive government irrespective of political or ethnic differences in order to ensure growth and development of the state.
“While I congratulate the governor elect, I expect him to come back home and be with his people.
“He should unite the people by running an inclusive government.
Most importantly, he should make the issue of security in the state a priority during his second term to enable him execute developmental projects for the state and its people,” Zi said. – Punch
– Mar. 26, 2019 @ 16:39 GMT |
Tags: Blame yourselves for Useni’s loss of Plateau Gov poll lawyer tells PDP
