Confusion continues to trail a section of Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State over effort to pick a consensus candidate from the Southern zone to challenge Governor Jonah Jang’s candidate for the governorship seat.
The Eagle Online can report that efforts by a group known as the Equity and Justice Movement to handpick a consensus candidate from the southern part of the state might not be realistic.
A source disclosed to our reporter that some of the aspirants are already rejecting the idea of pruning down of governorship aspirants from the Southern axis by a segment of the PDP elders’ forum.
They are accusing the forum of taking side with one of the candidates.
As such, they have opted to go to the primaries, expected to hold in December, without consensus.
The Elder’s forum, under the banner of PDP Equity and Justice Movement, led by Prof. Dakum Shown, recently met in Jos, the state capital, with seven aspirants from the zone.
The aspirants at the meeting were Deputy Governor Ignatius Longjan, former governor Fidelis Tapgun, former Director General of Industrial Training Fund Prof Longmas Sambo Wapmut, Senator Victor Lar, Architect John Alkali, Engineer Jimmy Cheto and Godfrey Oman Miri.
This was with the view to adopting a consensus candidate.
A source close to one of the aspirants told The Eagle Online on condition of anonymity that they do not trust the body language of the leadership of the forum.
The source said: “We are sensing foul play.
“They are being sponsored and playing the script of one of the aspirants to ensure his emergence.”
Our source, who challenged the integrity of the leadership of the forum, disclosed that five out of the seven aspirants are opting out of the consensus deal on the grounds that the position and action of the elders’ forum failed in the very basic sense to be subjected on any foundation of credibility and transparency.
“The criteria they intend to adopt in selecting their preferred aspirant remains unknown to us and unacceptable,” he said.
A source with knowledge of the dealings of the political elders told our correspondent that Longjang and Lar are the two top contenders for the group’s endorsement, but majority of the members are plotting for the emergence of Longjang for selfish gains.
According to the source, those against the choice of Lar argued that he lacks acceptability in his home front, Langtang.
Some members of the group from his locality were said to have given the movement the impression that Lar would be difficult to sell to the electorate and compelled to opt for Longjang, who, according to the source, was favoured because he is the present deputy governor and could easily be presented to the electorate as someone with the knowledge of the workings of government.
Some of the elders also believed that if Longjang, who is seen as humble and over 70 years old, eventually emerges as governor, he can easily be manipulated and some of them can be relevant in the corridors of power.
But when the speculation on the choice of Longjang filtered to the other aspirants, some of them, who believe they have the capacity to win the primaries, vowed to reject any selection not done on the basis of transparency, a development that is presently fueling the speculations that a consensus candidate may never emerge from the zone.
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