The acting state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, Hon. Amos Gombi has called on the State House of Assembly not to renew the three months tenure of Caretakers Committee in four local government areas of the state.
It would be recalled that the state government in conjunction with the security agencies postponed council poll in Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barakin-Ladi local governments on the premise of insecurity while the state government later appointed caretakers Committee Chairmen to run affairs of the councils.
Hon. Gombi told newsmen in Jos that it was undemocratic to renew their tenure when there was no threat to peace in the affected local government areas adding the reasons earlier adduced were not cogent enough to warrant cancellation of the election in the four local government areas in the Northern zone.
“We are disturbed that the government could appoint caretakers to run affairs of these councils when the governor at different fora had declared that peace has returned to the state. At the just-concluded Governor’s Golf Tournament in Jos, the governor declared that peace has returned to the state saying hence the reason to organize the tournament.
“We quite agree with him, there is no threat to peace in these local governments, the State Independent Electoral Commission should commence the process of election. The postponement was deliberate by the APC-led government, the party is simply afraid of losing the election because the affected areas are strongholds of PDP in the state.”
On the crisis rocking the state chapter of the PDP, the chairman said the wrangling was orchestrated by some group of people who wanted to hijack the party through the back door, adding that their antics have been exposed and they are now left in the cold.
“Somebody somewhere is deceiving them, since the declaration of Chris Hassan as the chairman, did you see him or any of them near the state secretariat. I am the one in charge and the National Secretariat sanctioned it.
“I am appealing to our elders to stop sitting on the fence and address the matter at stake. I don’t have the intention of contesting for the chairman, the National Secretariat appointed me to run the party for three months before the party congress and that is what I am doing,” he said.