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Senator representing Plateau Central and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, Diket Plang, has said that it is foolhardy for anybody to think that an outsider will determine who wins the 2027 governorship election in Plateau State.
Diket Plang, probably referring to alleged plans by Nyesom Wike-led Rainbow Coalition to install a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor in the state in the next election, strongly rejected the idea that external forces from other states should dictate who becomes the governor of the state.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Jos, Plang emphasised that Plateau is rich in human capital, including military, academic and political leaders, and that allowing outsiders to choose their leaders would be an assault on the state’s honour and its leadership role in the Middle Belt.
He criticised what he described as “over-ambitious” political statements made by followers and leaders.
Plang warned that arrogance would be punished by the electorate at the polls and urged stakeholders and elders to unite to ensure the true will of the people prevailed.
He said: “If it is in the field of politics, God has blessed us. If it is in the case of regional politics, Plateau has held the interest of the Middle Belt for long. It will be unfair for anybody to think that somebody somewhere can decide who will be governor for us. Then we will lose our honour, we will lose our leadership in the region.”
He asked all residents in the state to “rally around and guide the political trip and ensure that the will of the people of Plateau manifests and we should hold responsible those that are elected into offices. Nobody should be standing here and feel that someone will make him a leader outside Plateau.”
When asked if he were probably referring to the Rainbow Coalition, Plang said: “I just want to assure you that I don’t even know about Rainbow Coalition. I don’t even know what’s happening about Rainbow Coalition. But I want to assure you that anybody who wants to think otherwise, has failed from the start of the war.”
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The senator expressed firm confidence that President Tinubu will win a second term. He defended the president’s policies as “futuristic”, arguing that the initial challenges of his administration are a normal part of the governance cycle, similar to a governor’s first year in office.
He dismissed the “gang-up” against the president as a collection of competing regional and tribal interests in other political parties that would eventually dissipate.
He believed these interests are not unified and will fade as the election approaches.
Plang identified security, transparency and political conduct as the three critical factors for a successful democratic process.
He said: “There are three critical requirements for a successful election. These are addressing insecurity so citizens can vote freely, ensuring INEC is prepared with materials and logistics to maintain a transparent process, which makes accepting defeat easier for all parties and political conduct that promotes hospitality in campaigns and using inclusive and kind language.”
He said that the average Nigerian voter is very wise and would not hesitate to punish those he described as arrogant and disrespectful politicians at the polls.
