Ahead of the 2015 governorship primaries in Plateau State, aspirants have started mapping strategies with the principal purpose of producing a consensus candidate from Plateau South Senatorial District of the state.
It was gathered that the Council of Elders from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state on Wednesday held a secret meeting at the Jos residence of Jeremiah Useni, which lasted several hours.
The meeting, which was between a group called PDP Equity and Justice Movement, also had in attendance seven governorship aspirants of the PDP, all from Plateau South.
They included the Deputy Governor, Ignatius Longjan; a former Governor, Fidelis Tapgun; a former Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Prof Longmas Sambo Wapmut; Senator Victor Lar; Architect John Alkali; Engineer Jimmy Cheto; and Godfrey Oman Miri.
A source, who was part of the meeting and sought anonymity, said guidelines and principles are being introduced to the gubernatorial aspirants in view of having one of them emerge as a sole candidate from the South to challenge Governor Jonah Jang’s anointed candidate, G.N.S. Pwajok.
The Southern zone, within last few weeks, has been spitting fire over alleged planned efforts by Governor Jang to impose the senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Pwajok, on the people as the next governor.
Pwajok and Governor Jang, who hails from Du in Jos South Local Government Area, have decided to swap positions, a development that is facing stiff protest.
This, according to report, is in the interest of justice, equity and fair play.
They argued that the 2015 governorship ticket ought to be zoned to the Southern zone, pointing to the fact that the Central and Northern zones have had their shares, leaving the southern zone.