PLATEAU APC BIGWIGS WARN GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS PRESENTING THEMSELVES AS LALONG'S ANOINTED CANDIDATE

Leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Plateau State under the aegis of APC Bigwigs have called on some governorship aspirants for the upcoming 2023 election to desist from telling the electorates that they are the anointed candidate of the governor, Simon Lalong.

Speaking with newsmen on Monday on behalf of the bigwigs in Jos the Plateau State capital, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, said the governor is an impartial man who obeys the rule of law and is giving everyone a level playing ground and equal opportunity.

He said some of the aspirants using the Governor's name are just trying to craftily boost their candidature to mislead the people because Lalong has never declared that he has any anointed candidate.

According to Zazzaga, they know those involved in this unhealthy campaign strategy and that if they don't desist the bigwigs will petition them to the party as well as the governor.

Zazzaga further explained that the aspirants involved in such practice are trying to cause division in the party as well causing disaffection between the governor and other stakeholders, groups, individuals and interest parties in APC.

He urged the public to disregard anyone campaigning with the Governor's name as such claim is baseless and untrue.

Also, he urged the governor to investigate the matter and call those involved in the act to desist since his (Lalong) name is at stake.

In another development, Zazzaga  called on some mischief makers trying to destabilize the party by lying against the Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the industrial training (ITF), Joseph Ari, to retrace their steps.

He notes that the nefarious activities of the mischief makers pedalling rumours that Ari is seeking elective position, and that he is supporting some candidates in the party is a mischief taken too far, since Ari himself has repeatedly denied that he is not seeking for any elective position or in support of any aspirant's candidature.

He said the mischief makers have even gone as far as printing posters and banners of Joe Ari seeking elective position as well as those they purported he was supporting.

According to him, this new trend of attempt to destabilize their party must be checked immediately because the perpetrators could have more sinister plans that cannot be determined in a hurry.

He stressed that politics is not a game to hide in the sense that any aspirant will eagerly want to make his/her intension known, but that when someone said he is not seeking any elective office and people kept printing his posters and pasting them is an attempt not only to pull the person down but to destabilize the party.

"Besides, any politician knows that for societal or influential person supporting a political candidate is usually done underground and not openly shown, not to talk of a civil servant like Joe Ari whose mandate is still within ITF and actualizing the it's core values and the confidence bestowed on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

"Meanwhile, we have started digging into those behind the mischief and we have been able to uncover some persons. We will soon make their identify known to the party and Ari himself," he said.

Zazzaga commended Ari for reporting the issue to the security agents, adding that they will provide their own support so that the activities of those perpetrating the act does not spread and cause harm not only in the system, but in the society at large.