Chief Letep Dabang, the former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, has revealed that he left the party’s state chairmanship position due to the perceived high-handedness of the then Governor Simon Lalong. Dabang alleged a lack of internal democracy within the APC in the state as a key factor in his decision to resign.
Addressing newsmen at his Jos residence yesterday, Letep, who currently serves as the political adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, expressed bewilderment over the recent Appeal Court ruling that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lacked the structure to nominate candidates for the 2023 general elections.
Dabang questioned the legitimacy of the APC’s leadership, asserting that even the current chairman, Mr. Rufus Bature, did not go through the formal process of purchasing a form to contest the position.
He stated, “Well, for me, if there is any political party that has no structure, it’s the APC. In 2021, APC collapsed. No doubt about that. It became obvious that internal democracy was not going to be obeyed. Councillorship and chairmanship candidates were simply selected.”
Dabang detailed allegations of orchestrated congresses at the local and ward levels and raised concerns about the lack of proper elections within the party. He emphasized that the situation prompted an application to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for certified copies as observers.
Expressing disappointment over the party’s state leadership, Dabang explained, “I am at a loss why and how they say PDP has no structure. We know the circumstances that prevented us from participating in the local government election, and the court said we should go and repeat it.”
He further called on the Supreme Court to thoroughly examine the issues and appealed to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to review cases of lawmakers sacked by the Appeal Court concerning issues of structures. Dabang underscored the need for dispassionate consideration of these matters.
The former APC chairman attributed his resignation to the trajectory of the party and the perceived monopolization of APC structures on the Plateau by the former governor. Despite his concerns, Dabang expressed hope that the Supreme Court would address the issues impartially.
