The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Plateau State, following recent developments has been described in may quarters as one that some aggrieved Party Stakeholders, are trying to take their pound of flesh on former Governor Jonah Jang over his recent decision of pulling out from the campaign council of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
You would recall that Jonah Jang alongside other party members, loyal to Governor Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, pulled out of Atiku’s campaign team, following the refusal of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign his position, to pave way for someone from the south of the country to replace him.
After Jang’s withdrawal from the campaign council, some stakeholders of the party known as the ‘Plateau for Atiku Group’ using an APC chieftain, Amb Yahaya Kwande as a rallying point went on to disowned the statement credited to Mr Jang asking Mr Ayu to resign.
The group of stakeholders amongst whom is Professor Shedrach Best, a then Secretary of the State Government (SSG) (under Sen. Jonah Jang’s administration) rather than calling for a round table to address the Jang’s stance on the National crisis have instead moved into an attempt to demean the person of the former Governor.
Prof. Best was earlier quoted asking an Investor and a Non-Indigene in the state, to leave and go back to his state for supporting Sen. Jonah David Jang’s idea of joining others to pull out of the Atiku’s campaign.
The power play has seen Amb Yahaya Kwande, who widely known as an APC chieftain, has been a close friend and associate of Atiku as such it is no surprise that he has been able to put together staunch supporters of Atiku ‘the Plateau for Atiku Group’ and attempting to use the opportunity spite Jonah Jang who believes that “Subverting the constitution of the party’s long-held tradition of inclusiveness is a sure way to derail the party from getting back to its winning ways”.
It is rather unfortunate that instead of the so called stakeholders to advise Atiku drop his political arrogance by asking Ayu to go which will help him approach the election with one house they are busy taking their political pound of flesh with anyone that opposes their stand.
Questions yet to be answered are; Why is this group suddenly finding a rallying point around an APC chieftain? Who are really the forces behind the PDP Crises in Plateau State?
The issues in the party has to be resolved in the shortest possible time giving that campaigns are kick starting on the 28th of September.
Without a round table resolution on the issues with leadership of the party creating a more robust strategy to ensure proper and sincere reconciliation among aggrieved members before the general elections, the PDP may likely go into the 2023 general elections unprepared.
