Gyang Bere, Jos
A former member of the House of Representatives and State Chairmanship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Bitrus Kaze, said 40 aspirants who boycotted the Plateau State PDP Congress will contest the outcome of the illegal state Congress.
Kaze, in a press statement issued in Jos, said the congress committee appointed an agent for him to justify the 22 votes that were allotted to him.
He said the congress violated most of the constitutional provision of the PDP as there was no screening committee, no screening result and no screening Appeal Panel.
‘On Friday 28th August 2020, it was widely reported in the media that 40 aspirants, plus my humble self announced our boycott of the purported Plateau State PDP Congress schedule for Saturday 29th August in Jos.
‘There were violations of the party Guidelines For The Conduct Of Ward, LGA, State, Zonal Congresses And The National Convention issued in January 2020.
‘The Screening Committee was not constituted, no screening result was displayed at the State Secretariat, the Screening Appeal Panel as well as the State Congress Appeal Panel were never constituted for Plateau.
‘An agent was appointed for me in my absence to justify the 22 votes they dashed me just to ridicule me. People who were desperate to rehearse the State Congresses on 29th August never went for meet-the-delegates tour to any LGA. They are jittery in self-acclaimed “victory” like the Roman Pilate who despite vindicating Christ chose his throne over justice.’
Kaze cautioned his supporters not to fight, assuring them that the race has just begun.
He noted that non of the recommendations of the meeting held with Governor Simon Ortom on the 19 August with a view to withdraw court litigations in preparatory to a smooth state Congress was implemented by the alleged neutral Caretaker Committee set up for the state.
‘My crude understanding of some facts as at Friday 28th August is that. There’s an uncontested court judgment which restrained the PDP from conducting any State Congress until the party congress is conducted in Jos North LGA.
‘It’s crystal clear why PDP lost Rayfield in 2015 the Chief Raymond Dabo and Sen Ike Ikweremadu-led post-mortems suffice. Our loss in 2015 laid the foundation for another loss in 2019. We cannot keep repeating the same mistake and expect different results. As a State Chairmanship aspirant who conceded defeat in 2016 despite “a recorded over-voting of about 20 percent of the total number of accredited delegates.
‘Duty beckons on us to challenge the crass illegality. Make no mistake about it, it is costly but freedom is not free. I can easily forego my State Chairmanship ambition but our collective goal to RESTORE FAIRNESS is not negotiable.’