Gyang Bere, Jos
The Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau State, Hon Chris Hassan, said former Speaker of Plateau State and former Member of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon George Daika, is credible and the best candidate for October 31 Plateau South senatorial by-election.
The State Party Chairman disclosed this at the weekend during the inauguration of the Campaign Council for the forthcoming by-election.
He noted that the Campaign Council would be head by him, with members of the State Executive, National and State Assembly members and other stakeholders, cutting across the three senatorial zones of the State are members.
Hassan said the Campaign Council which is comprises of over 100 critical political stakeholders in the State was to ensure that the party’s candidate in the 31st October, 2020, Rt Hon. George Daika emerge senator representing Plateau South.
Addressing stakeholders after inaugurating the Campaign Council, Chairman of the party in the State, Hon Chris Hassan, at the party’s Secretariat in Jos, the State capital, said: ‘The PDP has the most credible and qualified candidate for Plateau South senatorial by-election. It is our duty and responsibility to sell him among the people and ensure that we give Plateau South a credible voice in the National Assembly.
‘I appreciate the spirit of oneness exhibited by especially those who contested the primary election with our candidate. They have shown maturity and love for our great party the PDP, as you can see all the four of them are here ready to ensure that we emerge victorious in the election.
‘If politics is done base on qualification, then our candidate, Rt Hon Daika is more than qualified; because if you look at the process that led to his emergence, that informed the decision of those who contested with him to support him, because it was transparent.
‘And if you look at the positions he has occupied, he was a speaker of the State Assembly and a former member of the House of Representatives, compared to his APC, who has never even held a councillorship position, and was never a party person,’ he explained.
Hassan appealed to members to forget their differences and work towards the success of the party in the upcoming senatorial by-election, saying: ‘We must learn to forgive one another as far as we want to remain in politics.’
Also speaking on behalf of the National Assembly caucus, Senator Istifanus Gyang urged members to replicate what happened recently in the gubernatorial election in Edo State.
‘This is the time for us as party faithfuls to ensure that we emerge victorious in the forthcoming Plateau South senatorial by-election.
‘We have enormous goodwill in all the LGAs in Plateau South, this is an opportunity for us to leverage on that by working as an indivisible entity to ensure victory for our candidate and our great party the PDP.’
Chairman of Langtang North, who is the only elected PDP Council Chairman in the State, Hon Joshua Laven, said: ‘This party needs to come back to its original status, and I’m seeing that zeal in this forthcoming election.
‘Our victory in this forthcoming election is the first step to tell us that we are ready for 2023.’
A former ALGON Chairman in the State and a chieftain of the party from Shendam LGA, Hon Kemi Nshe, said ‘once our agents can stand firm in protecting the result, we will emerge victorious; but we need to support them morally and otherwise.’
Nshe maintained that ‘as stakeholders, if agents compromise, we should have ourselves to blame, because we need to put an eye on them.’
The Plateau South senatorial by-election which is to hold on the October 31, was necessitated as a result of the demise of Senator Ignatius Longjan, which occurred in February 2020.