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  • Plateau governor, CP fight over unsealing of LG secretariats

    Plateau governor, CP fight over unsealing of LG secretariats

    The Plateau government and the state commissioner of police, Julius Alawari,

    might be heading towards a collision course over who has authority to order the unsealing  of the17 local government secretariats being shut down after the suspension of the chairmen.

    Alawari had issued a directive for the unsealing of the secretariats for the suspended chairmen to return to duty without a recourse to the state government. 

    Philimon Daffi, the Attorney General of the state, faulted the CP’s move during a press briefing after an emergency security council meeting held at the Government House in Jos.

    The meeting was presided by the deputy governor of the state, Josephine Piyo.

    Read Also: Mutfwang: A new development plan for Plateau

     It would be recalled that Governor Mutfwang had on June 1, suspended all democratic structures in the 17 local government areas of the state and appointed Transition Committee Chairmen run activities of LGs.

    The suspension followed the recommendation of the State House of Assembly over allegation of financial mismanagement by the suspended chairmen.

    However, the CP unsealed the secretariats of the local government areas and directed workers to resume work.

    The directive, however, exempted all political office holders pending the outcome of their litigation.

  • Plateau shuts down over 100 illegal schools

    The Plateau State Government has shut down more than 100 illegal schools across 17 Local Government Areas (LGA), Mr. Jude Dakur, the commissioner for secondary education said.

    Dakur said  in Jos yesterday that the schools which were closed last year did not meet the standard requirements to educate children, who are the future leaders of the country.

    He spoke while receiving  an award on human values and education given to him by a research organisation.

    ”Some of the schools were not certified to operate, some had unqualified teachers and inconducive environment for learning,’’ the commissioner said.

    Government, according to him, is committed to improving the standard of education in the state by enforcing strict compliance to standards of operations.

    He pledged himself to the improvement of human capital in secondary schools in the state.

    He commended Gov. Simon Lalong for his massive investment in the education sector through infrastructure development and procurement of science laboratory equipment for secondary schools.

    Earlier, Dr Rhuefe Khaese, the Director of Research, in the organisation, said that Dakur was honoured with the award because of his supervisory role that had kept teachers on their toes and ensured positive teaching and learning outcomes.

    “He ensures teachers are disciplined in the provision of services through punctuality to duties; and building their capacity to prepare them for public exams,” he said.

  • ‘Lalong should treat Plateau people fairly’

    Former Deputy Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, is one of the newly elected House of Representatives members In this interview, with Yusuf Idegu he calls on the governor to concentrate in providing good governance to Plateau people.

    ANOTHER election has come and gone, what is your personal assessment of the 2019 elections in Plateau State?

    Plateau staged the most peaceful elections in the country and that makes me proud to be a Plateau man. There was the presidential election, then the governorship election, the supplementary election. They all went peacefully in my state compared to what happened in other states. We had the most peaceful campaigns; there was no case of party supporters clashing. I feel good as a Plateau man because I noticed our maturity in the game of politics has improved greatly. It is my earnest prayer it remains so.

    You were removed as Deputy Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly and today you are now House of Representatives member-elect, what will you have to say on that?

    That is God at work. But basically, my removal from the position of Deputy Speaker in 2018 was not based on allegation of fraud or misappropriation, if it were based on fraud or official corruption; I would not have had the gut or courage to contest for House of Representatives. But God has his own way of doing things. I can only be grateful to God for what he has been doing in my life.

    Your closest rival, the PDP candidate, is heading to the tribunal to contest your victory, are you ready to defend your victory at the courts?

    If winning election is based on the strength of campaign, then I deserved to win, and I won because the voters gave me more votes than he got. I am not scared of the tribunal, in any case, victory at the tribunal is never given to the petitioner just because you submitted petitions; you have to come to the tribunal to defend your petition on its merit. I know I did not participate in election rigging; I defeated the incumbent because in all honesty I did more campaign than he did. I have gone

    round the 36 federal wards in my constituency 4 times. I put more commitments into the campaign than he did. And while I went round campaigning, I prayed to Almighty Allah that among the two of us contesting, God should give victory to whoever that will serve the people better; that if I’m not the best for the people, God should decide, but if I’m the best of the two, God let me be. This is an election that was decided by God through the people’s votes. I made up my mind to congratulate him if he is the winner, and I expect him to do congratulate me now that I am the winner, but if he chooses to go to the tribunal to challenge my victory, we shall meet at the tribunal; I wish him good luck.

    The person you are going to take over from did just one term and could make it to the second term, what did you think he failed to do that you are going to do to break the record?

    My constituency comprises of three local government areas; Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam. Somebody from Pankshin spent eight years in the National Assembly, Kanke also spent eight years in that capacity, only Kanam spent four years; that was the formula that gave me better chance than Golu. So, the people said, Kanam deserved to serve another term to complete their own eight years Iike the other two local governments. That was the reason I contested. But at the end of my tenure, any of these three local governments can start a fresh turn. If I served the people well, they might ask me to commence the zoning arrangement, it is all for the people to decide. My objective is to be the best National Assembly member in the history of Plateau State, and if I accomplish that wish, then 2023 will be very interesting.

    Over the years, you must have watched the activities of the House of Representatives, as a politician, what is that thing that members of the Green Chambers have failed to do that you have in mind to do?

    The former and present House of Representatives members may have done their best, but one thing they keep doing that limits them from that which benefits the people that sent them there is misrepresentation. Most of them are first timers and so there are some natural factors that will not make them serve their people’s interest. Primarily they are there to represent the people, but as soon as they enter there, each member will be struggling to own a House in Abuja, buy the best car money can buy and they begin to think of personal security. After that, they will want to own the biggest house in their constituency. By the time you achieve all these personal projects, four years is gone and you start to ask them to give you second term, claiming that one term is not enough to serve them. At the risk of sounding immodest, I will not embark on those personal projects because already I have the best cars I desire; I have choice houses in my village, my state and in Abuja. So I’m going straight into doing what my people need. The interest of my people is number one project; I’m going to make a remarkable difference, I don’t have any excuse to give my people if I fail them. Some members will tell their people, I have not settled down because of the tribunal thing, I’m not going to give such excuse. I have all it takes to pay my lawyers without waiting for constituency allowances to pay my lawyers. I have told myself that it will be an act of wickedness to my people if I begin to give them excuses instead of working for them. I’m going to move with speed because I’m not new to legislative work. I have done that at the state level as Chief Whip and Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly. I may be new at the National Assembly, but I’m not new in the work of legislation. My own is going to be entirely different from the rest. I have served my people. As a state lawmaker, they knew what I did and that is why they want me to come to the national level to replicate it, and I’ve assured them I will not let them down. While I was serving my people at the state level, someone else was representing us at the House of Representatives in Abuja, but I’m sure the people of my constituency noticed I must have performed satisfactorily to accept me as a better alternative to the person representing us. And if the people can elevate me in that manner, based on my capacity to deliver, I will be so wicked to begin to look for excuses to give them instead of services. I am not going to the National Assembly to please Mr. President, or my state governor or my party; I am going to please my people. I am going to be loyal to my party and national leaders, but not to the level of compromising the interest of my people.

    to think of personal security. After that, they will want to own the biggest house in their constituency. By the time you achieve all these personal projects, four years is gone and you start to ask them to give you second term, claiming that one term is not enough to serve them. At the risk of sounding immodest, I will not embark on those personal projects because already I have the best cars I desire; I have choice houses in my village, my state and in Abuja. So I’m going straight into doing what my people need. The interest of my people is number one project; I’m going to make a remarkable difference, I don’t have any excuse to give my people if I fail them. Some members will tell their people, I have not settled down because of the tribunal thing, I’m not going to give such excuse. I have all it takes to pay my lawyers without waiting for constituency allowances to pay my lawyers. I have told myself that it will be an act of wickedness to my people if I begin to give them excuses instead of working for them. I’m going to move with speed because I’m not new to legislative work. I have done that at the state level as Chief Whip and Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly. I may be new at the National Assembly, but I’m not new in the work of legislation. My own is going to be entirely different from the rest. I have served my people. As a state lawmaker, they knew what I did and that is why they want me to come to the national level to replicate it, and I’ve assured them I will not let them down. While I was serving my people at the state level, someone else was representing us at the House of Representatives in Abuja, but I’m sure the people of my constituency noticed I must have performed satisfactorily to accept me as a better alternative to the person representing us. And if the people can elevate me in that manner, based on my capacity to deliver, I will be so wicked to begin to look for excuses to give them instead of services. I am not going to the National Assembly to please Mr. President, or my state governor or my party; I am going to please my people. I am going to be loyal to my party and national leaders, but not to the level of compromising the interest of my people because I’m not new to legislative work. I have done that at the state level as Chief Whip and Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly. I may be new at the National Assembly, but I’m not new in the work of legislation. My own is going to be entirely different from the rest. I have served my people. As a state lawmaker, they knew what I did and that is why they want me to come to the national level to replicate it, and I’ve assured them I will not let them down. While I was serving my people at the state level, someone else was representing us at the House of Representatives in Abuja, but I’m sure the people of my constituency noticed I must have performed satisfactorily to accept me as a better alternative to the person representing us. And if the people can elevate me in that manner, based on my capacity to deliver, I will be so wicked to begin to look for excuses to give them instead of services. I am not going to the National Assembly to please Mr. President, or my state governor or my party; I am going to please my people. I am going to be loyal to my party and national leaders, but not to the level of compromising the interest of my people.

  • NPS Plateau Command gets new spokesperson

    The Plateau Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) has appointed ASP Martha Banda as its new Public Relations Officer.

    In a statement signed by Banda and issued on Friday in Jos, she replaces DSP Luka Ayedoo, who served in the command for four years.

    Read Also: Prison inmates excel in WAEC exams- NPS

    Banda said Ayedoo had been deployed to the Special Duties Department, Nasarawa State Command of the Service.

    She wished Ayedoo, who won the NPS 2017 Best Command Relations Officer’s Award, a successful sojourn in his new place of assignment.

  • Gunmen kill 1, injure 3 others in Plateau

    Gunmen on Wednesday killed a 42 year-old man, Mr Mahan Ishaya, and injured three others in Daffo town of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau.

    DSP Terna Tyopev, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos.

    “Yesterday at about 9:45 p.m, we received information that about 8:30 p.m, some unknown gunmen attacked Daffo town in Bokkos LGA.

    ” As a result, one Mr. Mahan Ishaku, a 42-year old man, lost his life, while Ahmadu Sale, Faiza Sale and Ishaya Maju, sustained various degrees of injuries,” he said.

    Read Also: Police: kidnappers on the prowl in Plateau

    The spokesperson said the injured persons were currently being treated at the Cottage Hospital in Bokkos.

    He said efforts had been intensified to track the perpetrators and penalise them in accordance with the law.

    He said the command had intensified patrol in the area to avert break down of law and order, and therefore called on residents of the area to be law-abiding.

  • Police move to stem cases of kidnapping in Plateau

    The Plateau Police Command has decried the increasing cases of kidnapping in the state.

    DSP Terna Tyopev, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said in a statement on Thursday in Jos, that the command has put in place stringent measures to address the ugly trend.

    He said that information at the command’s disposal indicates that the perpetrators were living within the community; warning that anyone caught also harbouring criminals would be decisively dealt with.

    “The Police Command in Plateau wishes to inform members of the public of the new trend of crime in the State, where criminals go into unsuspecting homes to kidnap innocent people.

    “The command is using this medium to assure the public that everything is being done to track these criminals.

    “It has been established that the kidnappers are not far from the communities.

    “Already we have gotten the profile of some of them through our intelligence network and they will soon meet their waterloo,” Tyopev assured the people.

    The police spokesman said that Mr Isaac Akinmoyede, the state’s Commissioner of Police wants residents to assist the police by giving useful information that could help in apprehending criminal elements in the state.

    Tyopev said the Command arrested one Daniel Useini, a notorious criminal and resident of Rukuba Road, Jos, who had been on the wanted list of the police over alleged criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.

    He said the suspect was arrested on Tuesday with one locally made revolver pistol with ten rounds of live ammunition and fifteen rounds of rubber ammunition.

    According to him, the suspect is under investigation and would soon be charged to court.

    Tyopev called on members of the public to report any suspicious movements around their areas to the security agencies.

  • Plateau Assembly passes 2019 N153.6bn appropriation bill

    The Plateau House of Assembly on Thursday passed the 2019 Appropriation Bill of over N153.6 billion, following the presentation of a report by the House Committee on Appropriation.

    The budget is made up of N85.5 billion recurrent expenditure as well as N68. 6 billion capital expenditure.

    Gov. Simon Lalong on Dec. 24, 2018 presented a budget of over N148.7 billion for the 2019 fiscal year to the house for consideration.

    The bill tagged “Budget of Rescue and Infrastructural Growth” had over N83.4 billion representing 56 per cent as recurrent expenditures, while capital expenditures was over N65.3 billion, representing 43.9 per cent.

    The house had on Jan 23, committed the bill to its committee on appropriation for scrutiny and necessary recommendations.

    According to committee Chairman, Yahaya Adamu, the committee, in conjunction with other relevant ones, invited all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to defend their proposals.

    “Mr. Speaker, you will recall that on Jan 23, the 2019 appropriation bill was committed to the committee on appropriation for consideration and scrutiny.

    “A budget size of over N148.7 billion was presented to us, but after due consideration, the committee decided to recommend over N153.6 billion as the total budget size.

    “Capital expenditure will take over N68.6 billion and the recurrent expenditure is allotted over N85.5,” he said.

    The committee in its recommendation advised the State Government to ensure timely release of overhead costs to the various MDAs to ensure productivity and effectiveness.

    The house later dissolved into committee of the whole, considered the report and made necessary observations and corrections.

    Speaker of the House, Joshua Madaki, announced the approved budget of over N153.6 billion.

  • Our Girls; Success – a girl failed by governors

    Our Chibok girls were kidnapped on April 15, 2014. Leah Sharibu and others are not yet released.

    Study the total votes in Kano, Plateau, Benue and Rivers; where are the voters? They do not exist. Our population is probably around 130-150m as we had under 30million voters. INEC is blameless, not responsible for violence during elections – political parties are. Face the parties, not INEC!

    The Success Adegor story is about a delightful Delta State articulate girl-child sent home for not paying what government quickly labelled an ‘illegal exam levy’.  Her parents, out of penury or protest or pride or ignorance or arrogance or anti-corruption, did not pay.

    Do your research before apportioning blame. Is the acting headteacher an honest soul struggling to educate children with no government grants for running costs? Governments rarely give running cost grants beyond salaries. Parents and governments always misinterpret the slogan ‘free education’ for ‘total free education’. Unfortunately they then refuse to substitute for a negligent government which under-provides equipment and learning environment and is also guilty of lying about its policy desire or ability to provide total education.  This leaves the pupil at an educational disadvantage when compared to pupils in liberal schools and private schools. In the latter, parents are encouraged to add value through donations of funds, magazines, books, sports and other needed equipment, buildings and payment for excursions.

    No school or university anywhere in the world has enough despite fees and good education budgets. It a painful paradox that only Nigerian ‘free education’ schools are not allowed to admit that they need help. Nonsense! Not allowing teachers to request, under supervision, for support is stifling initiative and the quality of education delivery. Allowing them to ask is not an admission of failure of free education policy but a reality check and a required supplement. No budget is ever enough, especially in education. Do not deny parents and PTA their primary responsibility for their children’s education. And stop deceiving teachers. Rather give awards to the best-supporting parents and PTAs and Old Students Associations and corporate bodies. Is the corrupt teacher extorting?

    While we castigate our teachers as the education funds are repeatedly stolen, one Kenyan maths and science teacher Peter Tabichi in a religious brother’s habit has won the Global Teacher Prize of $1m by the Varkey Foundation in Dubai for turning around the fortunes of a similarly neglected school as the one that Success goes to. We saw on TV the accursed pigsty quality of the school facilities making it more dangerous than the private Lagos collapsed school building because it is a government entity, protected from inspection and closure.

    No government has closed its own schools, yet across the country, there are thousands of government schools like the Success school- pigsties. The Delta State school is not ‘Child and Teacher Friendly Learning Environment’. It is a shameful pigsty in a state which is has the 4th highest per capita income in the country and receives 13% derivation and exposes a flaw in governance, repeated nationwide. Shamefully, every state has 500-1000+ such neglected schools. The teacher said the levy was for photocopying etc. The travail of the girl Success is a failure of political and education services.  Free education is often ‘Rubbish Under-funded Education’ with little help beyond delayed salaries provided by government especially at the primary level where there are not even Old Students Associations to help out.

    We all conduct or have participated in exams and know what they take in terms of material and logistics from time-table to question papers. If government does not give exam grant, do we expect no exam or the teachers to take funds from their tiny salaries for the purpose? I can bet you there is no grant from the Ministry of Education for anything including examinations and sports and co-curricular activities. The abysmal and selfishly myopic or ignorant or misguided refusal of Nigerian parents to provide the missing support to the abysmal free education efforts of governments coupled with the rejection of support from willing parents and the absence of primary school  Old Students Associations and the non-accessing the UBEC counterpart funding and of course the refusal of states to give needed grants to schools for running costs culminate in killing the potential of millions of children like Success and the denting and dampening the dedication of any wonderful Nigerian teacher/education leader.

    Saraki’s and senate’s N30,000 minimum wage is a Greek Gift -the Trojan Horse- and a poisoned chalice and is classic Saraki like the forced 1+ year calamitous delay forced on Nigerians by the slashing and diversion of a budgeted N15b Lagos-Ibadan expressway budget to untraceable corruption-driven National Assembly (NASS) constituency projects. It is a parting present which is a financial burden to his enemies currently in power. Who will face dwindling capital budgets from this rising recurrent wage bill above the N27,000 recommended by the federal government. Governors always manage, like Saraki, to forget that their own huge salaries overburden the budget. The extra money will come from huge funds of governance that would otherwise have been stolen. It is a desired parting gift dangled before workers but undeliverable. Now Saraki is in a win-win situation. He will retire laughing as Buhari may not sign it into law. Saraki will be long gone by the 30 days senate needs to override the president as senate seeks to keep their own fat-fat salaries and constituency projects.

  • Polls: Domestic observers rate Plateau high in peaceful, orderly conduct

    Civil Society Organizations in Plateau state and Coalition of Domestic Observers has rated Plateau state high in peaceful and orderly conduct during the just concluded 2019 general elections.

    The group comprising of 2,500 members said Plateau state is the most peaceful and orderly based on individual member’s observations during the elections.

    The CSOs/ Domestic Observers made their observations known Monday in a press conference held at the state secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Jos.

    Leader of the Group Godwin Okoko who read the text of the briefing said, “Our observations were collated from the reports of our members stationed at various polling units spread across the 17 LGAs of the state.

    “Generally, elections in the Plateau state was the most peaceful, orderly and fair from our assessments

    “We commend CSOs, security agencies, the media, observers groups, religious groups, traditional institutions, political parties and other stakeholders for their conducts during the elections.

    ”We also commend the electorate for their involvement in the process and peaceful conducts before, during and after the elections. As we look forward to a more peaceful, transparent and credible future elections, we use this medium to once more appeal to the Plateau State Government to ensure the strengthening of peace and security structures in the states through the promotion of peace and strengthening of community cohesion structures, provision of good governance, inclusive participation, accountability, increase youth empowerment programs, employment opportunities and youth/women development.

    ”We also appeal to the Governor-elect Barr Simon Bako Lalong as a leader of the state to begin the healing of wounds, closing of gaps, division and polarisation through the processes of reconciliation irrespective of party affiliation We also encourage all good sons and daughters of the state to give a supportive hand to the Governor-Elect towards a stronger, developed, peaceful and united Plateau State.

    ”We urge all good people of the state and residents of the state to continue to imbibe the culture of peace and tolerance. The Observers groups however recommend that INEC improves on the general conduct of the elections specifically; Smart Card Readers should be further enhanced.

    “We recommend that Collation Centres be more accessible to observers. We recommend that further delineation of voting points be carried out so as to make PUs more accessible to electorates.

    “Improve on logistics for INEC officials and ad-hoc staff to perform their duties optimally.

    “INEC and political parties should engage on sensitisation of the electorates and party members’ supporters.

    “Enhance capacity training for security agencies that will be involved in future conduct of election exercise.

    “We recommend that INEC should make information/data available on cancelled Polling Units where supplementary elections will be conducted.

    “We recommend that INEC should ensure prosecution of all her staff involved in electoral mal-practice

    “We recommend that voters should be more actively involved in subsequent elections. We recommend enhance capacity training for security officers that will be involved in future elections

    “We recommend capacity training for political party agents for future elections.”

  • Losers kick as polls winners unfold plans

    IT was different strokes yesterday for winners and losers of the supplementary governorship polls in Benue, Kano, Sokoto, Plateau and Bauchi states.

    As the winners showed appreciation to voters for support, those who suffered defeats said they were heading to the tribunal.

    It’s God at work, says Ortom

    Governor Samuel Ortom, who was reelected in Benue, described his victory  as the work of God.

    He led his supporters to the Redeemed Christian Church of God Mega Parish on Gboko Road, shortly after he was declared winner of the governorship election in Benue by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He dedicated the victory to God, praying Him to take control of the affairs of the state in the next four years of his administration.

    Ortom, accompanied by his wife, Dr. Eunice, and the his deputy, Benson Abounu, said he was handing over himself and the administration to God, bearing in mind his shortcomings to humanly pilot affairs of the state.

    Pastor Folashade Folasayo, who received Ortom and his entourage, prayed God to grant the governor his heart’s desires.

    Lalong: My victory an affirmation of Next Level philosophy.

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong described his re-election victory as the people’s affirmation of the Next Level philosophy and a show of the people’s desire to move to the next level of good governance.

    He said: “The outcome of the exercise in the state was clearly an amazing show of confidence and trust. It was also referendum on our most cherished principles of unity and peace as well as affirmation of the desire to move to the Next Level in the light of equality and inclusiveness, which are core values fundamentally located in the heart of the Plateau spirit that speak to our sense of communality, diverse ethnicity, mutual respect, tolerance, peace, hospitality, humility and diligence.”

    Lalong was delivering his acceptance speech immediately he was declared winner by the Returning Officer, Prof Richard Anande Kimbir of the University of Agriculture Markurdi.

    He said: “On 11th April, 2015 during the gubernatorial election, you came out enthusiastically and voted me as Executive Governor of Plateau State under the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “Taking on this mantle of leadership marked a significant milestone in our political and democratic journey as a people. It was also with a clarion call on us to deliver dividends of democracy along the five-point policy thrusts that we had presented.

    “Fellow citizens, four years down the lane, without prejudice to the just concluded re-run elections of 23rd March 2019, and the results declared by the INEC, you once again came outen masse and voted us to serve a second and final term as Executive Governor of the State, together with my Deputy, Professor Sonni G. Tyoden.

    “With gratitude to God Almighty, on behalf of myself and the Deputy Governor, I sincerely thank you all. We whole-heartedly accept this mandate to serve for a second and final term with all the humility it deserves. Above all, we accept this mandate by equally soliciting your usual cooperation and partnership as we strive to sustain the execution of our mandate.

    “The unquantifiable sacrifices and support of the platform on which we stood and won, namely, the Executive Council and state working committee of the APC, the director-general and members of the gubernatorial campaign council, volunteers, canvassers, agents, religious leaders, election observers, family members, women, youth and the less privileged are highly commendable and appreciated.

    “We see our task as a call to greater service and accountability to you as a people, who rightly represent the voice of God.

    “To our electoral umpire, security agencies, civil society organisations, stakeholders, and gentlemen of the press, we salute your courage and dexterity in upholding the tenets of your vocation, which contributed immensely to the success and peaceful conduct of this election. May God reward all of you with special graces and blessings.

    “Let me use this opportunity to urge my fellow citizens to regard this victory at the polls as victory for the whole of Plateau, with no victor, no vanquished. We had a dream, which we collectively and tirelessly worked towards achieving it and succeeded.

    “To me, this victory is a mark of honour and clarion call for consolidation of our gains and the sustainable peaceful coexistence for the good of the state.

    “Together, we will do more. I urge all citizens to celebrate in harmony with even the opposition without harassment, intimidation and provocative statements against any person or group.

    “To my fellow contestants, who not only participated in the historic gubernatorial debate, prior to the elections and also contested with me, I wish to congratulate you for your mature conduct during and after our electioneering campaigns.

    “I also extend my hands of friendship and urge you to share in the patriotic zeal of building a virile Plateau so that we can bequeath a positive and lasting legacy for the younger generations.

    “I equally extend my congratulations and hands of friendship to the newly elected and returned members of the Plateau State House of Assembly and indeed the National Assembly.

    “I look forward to a mutually beneficial and more robust working relationship with all of you. I pledge that government will continue to cooperate with the honourable members-elect at all times.”

     PDP insists: our candidate won in Kano

    The PDP yesterday insisted that its candidate, Abba K. Yusuf, won the Kano State governorship election, saying any declaration that does not reflect such cannot stand.

    According to the party, “the whole world knows that the PDP and its candidate, Abba Yusuf, won the Kano state governorship election since March 9, 2019, having fulfilled the constitutional requirement of securing the highest number of votes and the statutory 25 per cent in two-thirds of the state.”

    A statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the governorship supplementary election in Kano was a national disgrace and a mere figure allocating exercise by compromised INEC officials.

    The statement said: “INEC collaborated with power drunk politicians in the APC to award results to the APC candidate.”

    The party cautioned INEC against any attempt to import contrived figures from the ‘illegitimate’ March 23 ‘charade’, saying doing so would be a clear recipe for anarchy and serious crisis in the state.

    “The people of Kano state have a long history of firm resistance against corrupt and oppressive forces. Their will must therefore not be stretched in this election.”

    The Sokoto State chapter of the APC also rejected the declaration by INEC of Tambuwal as winner of the election.

    Addressing reporters after the declaration, APC Publicity Secretary Sambo Bello Danchadi said the position of the party was informed by obvious but fundamental reasons deemed contrary to the electoral laws.

    Danchadi pointed out that the winning margin of 342 was far less than the registered voters in polling units where elections were not held, a contravention of the electoral law.

    He said: “The APC has since tabled its complains before the Sokoto office of INEC for the breach of the electoral law and outright rigging perpetrated by our opponent during the elections.”

    The party noted with concern that despite steps taken, the electoral umpire went ahead to declare a winner without considering the earlier complaint lodged.

    “Our complaints also include the denial of potential voters the opportunity to cast their votes in some polling units within a number of local governments during the rerun.”