Jang didn’t impose Pwajok on Plateau, says group

THE Acting National President of Berom Youth Movement (BYM), Rwang Dalyop Dantong, has dismissed claims that Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State imposed any governorship candidate on the people.

   It had been rumoured that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Gyang Pwajok, was imposed by Jang, who influenced the results at the party primaries.

   However, Dantong noted in a statement in Jos yesterday that the PDP governorship primary election was contested by aspirants from the three senatorial zones and the candidate from Plateau North won because the zone produced an unbeatable candidate.

   “The choice of Senator Gyang Pwajok as governorship candidate of the PDP emanated from people of Plateau North senatorial zone, comprising six local councils,” he said.

   “We from Plateau North sat down and took note of the massive dividends of democracy provided by Governor Jang, who is a candidate from the zone, and we reasoned that since a candidate from the zone which never had the opportunity to produce government for the state in over 30 years could perform better than all governors who came from other zones, it will be in the interest of the entire state to have another governor from the zone for the sake of continuity.

   “We also considered that even if there was any zoning arrangement in the past, all the three zones have had their turns and the zoning arrangement had gone round, so let the zoning start all over again from Plateau North to enable the state consolidate the achievements recorded by Jang.

   “With this thinking, we decided to approach Jang and made our observation known to him. We told him why we wanted another governor from Plateau North but he asked us to go and present a qualified candidate from the zone.

   “But as a mark of respect for the governor, we returned to him and asked him to name someone he trusted and someone who can sustain his infrastructural development efforts.

   “That was how Jang suggested Senator Gyang Pwajok, who he said has been part of his administration and was part of the planning and knew much about his government. We agreed with him that Senator Pwajok is an intelligent man who can deliver on the yearnings and aspirations of Plateau people. 

   “So, we say without mincing words that the governor did not impose the man, it was based on our wish as a zone”.