By; AMOS MATHEW, Kaduna
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State under the aegis of APC Bigwigs have called on those aspiring to contest for the 2023 governorship election of the state under the party’s platform without political and grassroots structure to have a rethink and rescind their decisions in order not to heat up the polity that will cause tension in the party before the primaries.
Speaking with newsmen on behalf of the leaders in Jos the Plateau State capital, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, said there are too many aspirants whom were not abreast with proper workings or in and out of the state or that they have worked within the essential structure of the state.
According to him, such candidates are the ones likely to complicate the situation and such could lead to division in the party if things are not properly put in place to manage the situation.
He said that constitutionally speaking, there is nothing wrong with people coming out to contest for any position of their choice, but that due to the fact that understanding, stepping down for one another, consensus candidate and other unified agreement by the party to bring out a sellable, more qualified or a candidate the party generally deem fit.
Zazzaga argued that now that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is already strategizing in taken over the state in 2023, and that if the APC does not put its house in order the PDP could spring a surprise, adding that rumours are already going round that some of the aspirants are being sponsored by the PDP to destabilize APC ahead of the election.
“So that is why we are pursuing any cause that will minimize crisis in the party ahead of the 2023 elections. And one of the basic drivers of conflict which we have discovered in a political party is usually the issue of aggrieved members which usually takes off from the aftermath of primary elections that produce a party flag bearer.
“That is why we are making efforts to ensure that any issue that will breed disaffection, hatred, division and eventual defection from the party should be checked. In this respect, we are reaching out to all those coming out with governorship aspiration to be cautious so that the party don’t get enshrouded in crisis.
“Our simple call therefore is that those who have no strong threshold for the governorship aspiration should not come out just for the fun of it. Those who do not understand the intricacies of Plateau, don’t know the yearnings and aspiration of the people or the workings of the state governance are such people.
“This is because even after the primary election upon which a winner has already emerged, an aspirant who does not succeed at the end of the day may understand, but his/her supporters may not. That is if such aspirant does not care to enlighten his/her supporters of the need to continue supporting the party regardless of the candidate elected by the party as its flag bearer,” he said.
Zazzaga then advised the members of the party who are indiscrimately pesting their posters and banners all around town without a conviction on their aspiration to retrace their steps so as not to generate unwarranted problem for the party.
