Plateau APC Youths Back National Body’s Choice of New State’s Chairman

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, Politics Monday, August 11th, 2014

Agabus Pwanagba, Jos

A youth group within the Plateau’s chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) – Integrity Group has backed the party’s National Secretariat on the annulment of the election which produced Hon. Latep Dabang as the state’s Chairman and authenticated Hon. Amos Gombi as the new head.

The group in a press statement signed by its Chairman, Hon. Godwin Audu and Secretary, Alhaji Adamu Jeje and made available to African Examiner in Jos, the state capital, declared its support to the leadership of Hon. Gombi, whom they claimed commands the respect of the largest number of the party’s faithful in the State.

It reads, “We have analysed the so-called defence of Hon. Latep Dabang as contained in the documents submitted to the National Chairman on 4th, June, 2014 and observed that, Dabang’s letter of resignation is inconsistent with the date of the last Local Government election as released by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) in Plateau State.

“For instance, he claimed to has resigned on the 21st, November, 2013 to contest Local Government Election on the 25 February, 2014 when the election as at that time as for 7th, December, 2013 and subsequently shifted to 21st, December, 2013 and later to 30th, January, 2014 before it was formerly shifted to 25th, February, 2014 and asked if really Dabang resigned on 21st, November, 2013 how did he envisage this change in dates? Queried the statement.

“The fact that Latep Dabang continued to receive salaries from the National Assembly is indicative of the fact that he remained in the service of Government up till June, 2014 and this is in contrary to schedule (II) sub section (III) of APC constitution and section 182 (1) of the 1999 constitution as Amended.

“In Latep Dabang’s response to the APC Headquarters, window to defend himself, he claimed that his principal , Sen. Joshua Dariye purportedly directed the National Assembly Commission to continue to pay salaries to him up to May, 2014. This is fraudulent”. The statement affirmed.

It stressed again, “We also wonder why there was no single correspondence from the National Assembly Commission who were his employers at the time of his alleged resignation.

The statement also commended the National secretariat of the APC for its decision to recognize Gombi, observing that the party needed his type to make serious impact within the limited available time in its disposal.