Plateau 2019: Drama, as state party exco adopts opposition’s guber candidate

Jos-Residents of Plateau State were last Wednesday treated to a political drama as members of the state executive of All Blending Party, ABP, abandoned their own gubernatorial candidate, Mr Samuel Kyarshik and adopted the candidate of another party, the Action Democratic Party, ADP, General Jon Temlong.

Outraged by what its state officers did, the National leadership of ABP has however wielded the big stick and dissolved the state exco of the party.
The drama began on Wednesday when the State Chairman of ABP, Raymond Amark led some members of his exco to the State office of the ADP to declare that they have relinquished their support to their party’s candidate and decided to support the candidate of the ADP, Jon Temlong who they said was capable of restoring the state to the path of progress.
Amark said, “The All Blending Party, ABP in Plateau State has adopted the State governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party, ADP, General Jon Temlong as its governorship gubernatorial candidate, having deliberated as a Party. We, the state party faithful, in good faith, having reflected deeply, saw hope and a very big one when our brothers of the Action Democratic Party, ADP fielded a man of distinction and character, General Jon Temlong retired.

“At these trying times, we need to take bold decisions in order to restore honour to Plateau for the greater good of all. We call on all members and supporters of All Blending Party, ABP, to align with General Jon Temlong.
“Without relinquishing our support to our Party’s Presidential candidate, all our National and State Assembly candidates, we announce our decision to adopt the governorship candidate of ADP and we declare that the decision was a sacrifice to deliver the state from the challenges it is going through presently. We are here to show our collective support to the Action Democratic Party, ADP gubernatorial candidate.”

He added they decided to withdraw their support for Mr Samuel Kyarshik because he was not carrying them along in the decisions he was taking in the party.
Temlong who was elated at the additional support told the ABP members that, “this is a great moment for Plateau, that we have some patriotic Plateau citizens who have decided to put Plateau first before their interest. You are not taking this step for nothing, thanks for this spirit of sacrifice. We are for equity and justice, you will be treated the same with those who started the Party, we will work together to get a future for our children.”

However, the National Chairman of the All Blending Party (ABP) Hon. Moses Shipi immediately dissociated his Party from the said adoption saying the state chapter chairman, Raymond Amark and some few exco members who were equally dissolved on that Wednesday didn’t contact the national leadership before embarking on the adoption exercise.
According to him, “This is baseless and unconstitutional, our gubernatorial candidate under the Platform of the All Blending Party ABP for Plateau state governorship race come 2019 remains Samuel Dan-Auta Kyarshik.

“We hereby want to announce to all our supporters in Plateau, their immediate dissolution from the State Excos of ABP and all the chairmen including any other executive involved with that press release. Six members of the state exco were not informed about the adoption of Temlong, so we want our supporters to disregard that report as a baseless allegation which was meant to cause crisis in the party in Plateau state.”

While the leadership of ABP called on the leadership of ADP in Plateau state to ignore the said adoption or face a legal action, the ADP through its Publicity Secretary, Danjuma Auta thanked the ABP members for their support.
Auta through a statement he issued on Thursday said, “On behalf of the acting chairman of our great party, the Action Democratic Party in Plateau State, Mr Gideon Adamu, we wish to thank members of the All Blending Party (ABP) in Plateau state under the leadership of its chairman Hon. Amark Raymond who led members of the state working committee, state exco, LGA, Wards, Polling Units excos and some leaders of their party to the state secretariat of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Plateau state, to declare their unreserved support to our governorship candidate in the 2019 general election in the state, Brig. Gen. Jon Temlong and his Deputy Dr. Daniel Mwanmut.”

He also congratulated them for subsequently dumping and denouncing their membership of the All Blending Party in the state after their dissolution adding, “the ADP in the state are humbled by this giant steps taken and wish to commend you for truly coming to terms with the reality of considering the interest of Plateau people in this Plateau First Project which is a resolve by all Plateau citizens to return our state to the parth of honour and greatness.

“ADP in Plateau state wishes to make it categorically clear that as a team we will all work together to the realization of our vision for Plateau as promised by the pilot of the Plateau First Project, Brig. Gen. Jon Temlong (rtd) and everyone will be carried along without any discrimination on the basis of religion, ethnicity or any differences.
We equally call on all other political parties including the ruling party in the state to take the path of honour by joining the moving train of JUMPSTART under Brig. Gen. Jon Temlong (rtd) in taking Plateau to the promised Land.”