Elders and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State have appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to call Governor Jonah Jang to order or force the party into another round of crisis in the state.
Elders and youths in the 17 local government areas chapter of the PDP in the stateon Thursday thronged the secretariat of the Plateau State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Jos to register their grievances.
They kicked against the game plan by Jang to install Senator G.N.S. PWAJOK as his successor.
Led by Prof. Dakum Shown, the group told newsmen: “We advice President Jonathan to ensure that the third term bid of Jang in replacing himself with his cousin cannot work because we are battle ready to resist that plan.”
The group, operating on the platform of the Plateau Concern for Justice and Equity Forum, lamented the position of the PDP, adding: “As concerned elders and youths in Plateau State, we are now speaking with one voice regardless of our position that power must shift to the southern zone.”
They carried placards with such inscriptions as: “Goodluck Jonathan choose between Jang /PWAJOK and Plateau people in 2015”, “Plateau state is being left worst than 2007″, We don’t want a repeat of 2008 on the Plateau” and GNS PWAJOK 21st century Rehoboam”.
Shown described as “laughable in its highest level of falsehood and greed canvassing by selfish persons who find themselves in positions of power through the same process of zoning”.
He added: “The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria itself created six geopolitical zones in the country and listed Plateau among the central zone of Nigeria.”
Shown reiterated that the creation of the Federal Character Commission is to ensure fair representation of all zones in the national government.
He said similarly all the states have three senators elected from three federal levels, elections and appointments into key political, civil service, parastatals and military establishments.
According to him, the PDP’s constitution in Chapter 1, Section 7 (2) provides “the party shall strive to, promote national integration and peaceful coexistence of the diverse communities”, with sub section 3 providing that the party shall pursue this aim and objective by subsection C, adhering to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices in pursuance of the principles of equity, justice and fairness.
Shown added: “With due respect to our Governor and supporters, we respectfully submit that whatever the criteria he has used in terms of academic, professional and intellectual attainment and experience, his preferred candidate does not match the records of any of the aspirants from the southern or central zones of Plateau State.”
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