Isaac Shobayo
Ahead of the Saturday gubernatorial election in Plateau State, the Governor of Plateau State, Governor Simon Lalong and his predecessor Senator Jonah Jang are locked in a fierce battle to win the governorship election for their political parties, All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The former governor Senator Jonah Jang in an interview with a local radio station Jay FM had accused Governor Simon Lalong of not completing any single project during his eight-year tenure, which will end on May 29, 2023, and therefore his party, the APC should not be returned to power.
Speaking on the radio programme, Jang posited that Plateau got it wrong in 2015 when it handed over power, after his eight years in office as governor, by not supporting his candidate then adding that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) this time around zoned governorship to Plateau Central and chose Caleb Mutfwang because he had been tested and found competent.
He said Governor Lalong failed to win his senatorial election for Plateau South despite being a sitting governor and further accused the All Progressive Congress of planning to rig the Saturday election.
Responding on behalf of the governor, the State Commissioner of Information Mr Daniel Manjang said the former governor showed his true bitterness and hatred for Lalong.
He accused former Governor Jang of pushing out lies and propaganda to do maximum damage to the ruling APC and its candidate Dr Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe by disparaging the Government of Simon Bako Lalong and generating sympathy for the lacklustre PDP and his selected and imposed stooge Caleb Mutfwang.
According to him, Jang failed woefully to achieve his aim and ended up damaging the little goodwill that remained for his party and candidate ahead of the elections which were eventually rescheduled.
He debunked the accusation that Governor Lalong has not done anything in the past eight years adding at the former governor has a penchant for trying hard to erase the achievements of his predecessors and successors so that he can be the only Champion of Plateau State.
“If not, what project did he complete from former Governor Joshua Dariye? For instance, he brazenly closed down the Plateau State University Bokkos, one of the first State Universities to open on a permanent site describing it as a poultry farm” he asked.
However, in a swift reaction to the Commissioner, the Media Consultant to Senator Jonah Jang, Mr Clinton Odafe Garuba said the former Governor Jang by every means has earned the place of an elder statesman and it would only take disrespectful people with a distasteful character to think or say otherwise.
He said if the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections which are clear as to where the Plateau people stand do not say anything to the APC, Lalong and his foot soldiers such as Manjang, it is unfortunate.
” It has become the trademark of the Manjangs of this world to label anything which is not in their favour as being biased or lacking in experience and competence. Unfortunately, the NBC is not an arm of the Plateau State Government that will take orders from the Information commissioner. The Lalong government has done its worse and seen that it did not deter Jay FM from being the Radio station of choice on the Plateau. This is not the first time Manjang’s inexperience and incompetence will show itself” he said.
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