Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Plateau State
Chapter, Hon. Latep Dabang, has said the declaration of the State
Governor, Simon Lalong, to re-contest at the 2019 governorship election,
does not stop any other intending aspirant in the party from contesting
the number one seat in the State.
He said the State primaries for the gubernatorial election will still
hold, irrespective of the Governor’s declaration, adding that everyone
will be given the opportunity to express his constitutional right.
The State Chairman stated this at the weekend in Jos after the
party’s stakeholders meeting where the party met to deliberate on the
issues affecting the party and to strategies for the 2019 polls.
Dabang said, “the governor’s declaration to re- contest the 2019
governorship election does not foreclose any other chieftain of the
party from contesting because there would be party primaries”.
APC Chairman said, “the declaration by the governor was coincidental
as it was not part of the agenda of the meeting. But at the end of the
meeting, there were motions by party faithfuls requesting the governor
to clear the air on whether he would contest the 2019 elections or not.
And the governor took time to also inform the gathering that as a
matter of fact, there has been that pressure from all sectors, including
some from the political setting and the Plateau State Youth Council and
quite a number of spirited party faithfuls who have have been drumming
support for him to seek a second term in office.
“We are democrats and can’t stop anybody from contesting. However,
the governor won’t get automatic ticket because we will surely conduct
primaries.
But for now, governor Simon Lalong is the one that has publicly
declared that he would contest this election come 2019 on the platform
of the APC. If there are others, we cannot stop them from contesting”,
he said
The meeting had in attendance, the entire APC leadership in the
state, Deputy Governor, Prof. Sonni Tyoden and members of the State
Executive Council, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Peter Azi,
members of the Parliament as well as members of the National Assembly.
Dabang appealed to people of the state to continue to support the party at all times