Isaac Shobayo – Jos
Ahead of the Saturday gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections, three political parties, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), the Action Alliance (AA), and the African Democratic Party (ADP) in Plateau State, along with a later gubernatorial candidate, have dissolved their structures into the APC.
Receiving the leadership of the political parties at the state party secretariat in Jos, the state chairman of the APC, Hon. Rufus Bature, said the return was a homecoming as many of them were members of the APC at its formation before their defection to other political parties.
He assured them that they would be accorded the same privileges as those they met on the ground, adding that their returns to the APC would not be taken for granted.
“As far as we are concerned, every single vote is important to us.” Since you have decided to return home, we assure you that we will work together so that Plateau will be better at the end of the day because of the material we have in our candidate. The mandate before every one of us now is to win Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
“I want to say that you might have seen the qualities in our gubernatorial candidate, and this might have spurred you to return home.” “There are other political parties on the plateau; your choice of the APC is because you believe in its ideals,” he said.
Hon. Bature said there are six other political parties that have dissolved into the All Progressive Congress at the state and federal levels and expressed optimism that APC will win the elections come Saturday.
Responding, the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA) in the state, Chief Yibalkos Amos Adam, said he jettisoned his ambition to support the candidate of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yiltwada, because of his background and the qualities that placed him ahead of other candidates.
Chief Adam promised that his structure across the 17 local government areas of Plateau State will be deployed to ensure the victory of the APC gubernatorial candidate on Saturday.
Also, the State Chairman of the African Democratic Party (ADP), Rtd. Captain Fire Lamda, said they endorsed Dr. Nentawe because they believe in his ability to bring better development to the state, adding that the National Secretariat of the ADP has been informed to this effect.
Speaking with newsmen, the state chairman of the APC, Hon. Rufus Bature, said the people of Plateau State have made up their minds to retain the APC as a party in government, adding that they are not willing to return to the opposition.
He pointed out that the achievements of the President Buhari-led administration in Plateau State are feasible, adding that the state has never had it so good as under Buhari’s administration, coupled with Governor Lalong’s achievements.
Hon. Bature said Governor Lalong has, in the past eight years, restored the lost glory of the state as the “Home of Peace and Tourism,” adding that there is relative peace in the once-troubled Jos and other parts of the state.
“APC has restored sanity and peace to Plateau; before Lalong came to power, Jos was like a killing field.
“So the coming of Lalong has restored relative peace, and mass burial has been reduced to the barest minimum,” he said.
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