Plateau: Hold Lalong Responsible For Crisis, Says PDP, As Police Seal LG Secretariat

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, November 9th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Plateau State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a swipe at Governor Simon Lalong for what it said was his penchant for encouraging the breakdown of law and order, adding that the governor should be held responsible in the event that violent erupts in Langtang North Local Government Area of the state.

State Chairman of the party, Chris Hassan, spoke on the heels of the sealing of the council’s secretariat in Langtang by security agents despite the court ruling that the council’s Chairman, Joshua Ubandoma remains in office until his tenure elapses next year.

Hassan accused the governor of encouraging the breakdown of law and order by his action over the leadership tussle in the Plateau State House of Assembly and refusing the Chairman of Langtang North LGA, Joshua Ubandoma from accessing his office despite court order.

He spoke to newsmen at the party’s secretariat, yesterday, when the state Police Commissioner, Bartholomew Onyeka sealed Langtang North council secretariat and ordered Ubandoma and Rimven Bitrus Zulfa not to go in.

He said: “We are aware that six members sat at the Plateau State House of Assembly and impeached a Speaker. Section 92 of the 1999 Constitution as amended frowns at that. I have held meetings with nine members of the PDP and I have told them the position of the party.

“Today again, Joshua Ubandoma of the PDP won the LG election, he was denied. He went to court and obtained a judgment and was sworn in one year behind his colleagues. In the kangaroo October 9, 2021, elections, the governor declared Langtang North council chairman seat vacant while the chairman still has one year to complete his tenure but they brought in somebody.

“He went to court and obtained a declarative judgment that affirmed him as the elected chairman of Langtang North but they are bent on confusion. But we know that Joshua Ubandoma remains the chairman of Langtang North council until October 9, 2022. I want the public to check who is causing the problem in Plateau State, is it the PDP or APC? It is the governor or the people. I am told that he is the number one citizen of this state and I expect that justice should come from him.”

Ubandoma, who spoke at the briefing, said the state government was pushing the people of Langtang to take arms against one another but he would not do anything that will cause violence in the state and applauded the new state Commissioner of Police for quick intervention that averted bloodbath in the area.

Ubandoma said he would not collect any money as emoluments as a sacrifice to his people, adding that the mandate belongs to the people and he would complete it in the interest of the people, saying, “We will not do anything that will lead to bloodshed which the state government wants to cause. The Police has sealed the secretariat and said none of us should go in until the matter is resolved.”