Resign For Fresh Election, Jang Tells Plateau Governor Over Defection

Former Plateau state governor, Jonah David Jang, has asked Governor Caleb Mutfwang to resign and contest a fresh election for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Mutfwang defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) a few weeks ago.

But the move has unsettled some political leaders in the state with Jang saying it’s honourable to resign and face voters again since he was elected on the platform of the PDP.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP in the state over the weekend, Jang stated that, “I don’t know where we got this idea carrying people’s mandate without even thinking twice about it to other areas. And you start giving all kinds of reasons.

“You should first resign that position, call for a fresh election and then you can recontest in the new party. That should be the right democracy, “ Jang stressed.

He pointed out that, “Caleb Mutfwang is still the governor of Plateau state and it is we that brought him to power. Before he disposes of us, he has to complete this tenure with us.

“He can’t take our mandate anywhere,” Jang said, explaining that, “We campaign and voted for him. It is the PDP government that built that government house.”

While blaming the Nigerian system that allows indiscriminate defections of political office holders from one party to another, he explained that, “I have never seen name of any individual written on any ballot paper. It is a party that is written on ballot paper. It is party that wins election, not individuals.”

“Nigeria,” he swid, “is the only country that somebody is elected on the platform of a party and takes the mandate of that party to another party.”

He added, “I have never seen in a democratic country where someone wins an election and takes the mandate to another party.”

On nigeria becomimg a one- party system, he said, “God forbid that Nigeria becomes one-party state. By God’s grace it will never happen.

“We must stand to ensure this democracy survives,” he stated, adding, “We must not fail the nation.”

This democracy has come to stay, he said, “And by the grace of God, we will make it work.

“We will rally round with all our founding fathers and ensure that at the National level, we correct that mistake INEC is making. INEC will not kill democracy,” he added.

He stressed that, “PDP has not been deregistred and therefore, INEC has no right to stop any candidate of the PDP contesting election.

“That is not their job interfering with internal affairs of the political party,” he said. “Theirs is to make sure elections are conducted properly. Court should stop interfering with political parties internal affairs.”