By Sunday Elijah
Former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah David Jang says the G-5 Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their allies are not supporting the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, cautioning APC campaigners to stop misleading “the public in order to get favorable feedback for a bad product they so desperately want to sell.”
Jang was reacting to recent comments attributed to Governor Simon Bako Lalong of the Plateau State at the flag-off of the APC campaign rally in Wase Local Government Area of the state, where he suggested that the G-5 Governors are supporting the APC candidate.
Governor Lalong is also the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
A statement by Clinton Garuba, the Media Aide to Senator Jonah David Jang, says even though the G-5 Governors have problem the with process that brought about the PDP presidential candidate, as well as structural imbalance within the party, that “does not in any way suggest that they support the APC candidate.”
The statement added that the “APC has done a good job of de-marketing itself that the opposition does not need too much time talking about it. Nigerians have been subjected to tortuous life never imagined and they are willing to express their anger through the ballot box.”
The statement in parts read; “One would ordinarily have dismissed the vituperations as the outbursts of a deeply frustrated person who has taken a difficult task of marketing a bad product all in the need to stay relevant. It seem however that, Governor Lalong has just woken up from his slumber of almost 8 years and discovered he has spent these years doing nothing in the interest of Plateau people, hence the degeneration to day dreaming. But for the misleading statements he made, there was no need to dignify him with a response since we know that anything outside his written speeches are not only disjointed but profane babbling that makes no semantic sense.
For someone who has spent all these years as governor not doing what makes for the welfare and wellbeing of his people; in addition to the dismal performance in terms of basic infrastructure, healthcare, tourism, education and all the sectors necessary for the people, he should be hiding his face in shame rather than trying to denigrate the former governor whose records of performance dot the Plateau landscape.
Obvious signs that Governor Lalong is daydreaming, is in thinking that the G5 PDP governors and allies including former Governor Jang are supporting the APC presidential candidate. They have repeatedly said that they do not have personal problems with the candidate of the PDP but with the process that brought him up and the ensuing structural imbalance it has created in the party. Yes the integrity group has disagreements with the PDP and their withdrawal of support for the PDP presidential candidate’s campaign does not in any way suggest that they support the APC candidate. Only Lalong and his fellow dreamers think so and will stop at nothing to mislead the public in order to get favorable feedback for a bad product they so desperately want to sell.
In the same vein, the governor has been struggling to no avail to show that he is in good terms with former Governor Joshua Dariye and that the latter supports the APC candidates. Need we remind the governor once more that this again is a figment of his imagination conjectured to put him in good stead with the Plateau people he long abandoned in pursuit of interest that clearly undermine the Plateau people he claims to govern.
The APC has done a good job of de-marketing itself that the opposition does not need too much time talking about it. Nigerians have been subjected to tortuous life never imagined and they are willing to express their anger through the ballot box. Thinking of delivering APC top to bottom by Lalong and his ilk is mere wishful thinking. No right thinking person will consider an extension of the present situation we have found ourselves in. That is the kind of hardship that Lalong and co want to perpetuate just in the name of seeking relevance.
Many a discerning heart need not be surprised at the way Governor Lalong has used every opportunity he got to say disparaging things against the former Governor, having failed woefully to use the instrumentality of government to convict Senator Jang in a court of law over some trumped up charges of corruption. Plateau people saw how he petitioned Governor Jang to both the EFCC and ICPC and went further to line up government officials to bear false witness against Jang, thankfully at the end of the day the truth prevailed as the courts spoke in very loud voice in defense of Senator Jang . Having lost all the goodwill of 2015 and taking Nigeria, Plateau State inclusive, through harrowing times, the only thing the party can do is to whip up sentiments as it did in 2015.
However, they have failed to realize that Nigerians have seen them for who they truly are and will speak through the polls in a matter of weeks. Taking the Governor serious on his promise to deliver APC in all elections is like believing that the Naira will be parallel to the Dollar as promised or that electricity would be stable. What one can say at this point is “believe the APC at your peril, more still believe Lalong and have more disappointment. His outings at campaign rallies both as DG of the APC presidential campaign and back home in plateau state have been embarrassing. He speaks without the tact required of leadership and his utterances are akin to verbal diarrhea, words spoken without first weighing the gravity of what is said or lacking in communicative competence.
On the accusation of non-payment of salaries, which the governor has turned to a sing-song in the last seven years plus as one of his major achievements, let me state for the records that the Jang administration left unpaid salaries of 4 months which was later paid by the Lalong administration. In any case, former Governor Jang is not proud to have left unpaid salaries but the most recent refund for the infrastructure executed by Jang to the tune N6.5bn is evidence that he spent Plateau people’s commonwealth in their interest. The recent N6.5bn is only a part of the already refunded funds Jang administration spent in constructing federal roads. If Lalong has received such a huge amount, why then is he still owing salaries when there is no infrastructure to justify the spending of the equally huge allocation the state has received in addition to the mindless borrowings he has engaged in.
It is important for Governor Lalong and those who advise him to note that the 2023 elections is a referendum on the 8 years of the APC in the saddle and if they do not have anything to show, they could simply admit failure and prepare to hand over the reins of power to another party. Had the Governor spent his time working for the plateau people and their interests, he would have had several projects to showcase as a bait to wooing the electorate not the needless whining about what he met on ground in 2015. It is unfortunate that 2015 as it were, seems to have been a better place for Nigerians than what the APC has unleashed and want to continue to unleash on Nigerians.
Governor Lalong should stop referring Plateau citizens to what happen in 2015 and market himself and his so call candidate through his performance of his nearly 8 years administration. The people are watching and they will hold you accountable at the poll for your inept leadership, underperformance and the shame you have brought to Plateau.
Governor Lalong and his ilk must stop day dreaming and start preparing to take their place in political oblivion after Nigerians have sent them there for the pains and agony they have inflicted on them.