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PLATEAU: Jang, Useni, Kwande, Others To Shape NASS Debates

By Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos
05 April 2015   |   6:21 am
THE National Assembly elections have come and gone. The keenly contested battle has been won and lost. In Plateau State, some old lawmakers retained their seats while others lost out altogether, thereby giving room for new persons to emerge
Jonah-Jang-23-2-15--

Jonah Jang

THE National Assembly elections have come and gone. The keenly contested battle has been won and lost. In Plateau State, some old lawmakers retained their seats while others lost out altogether, thereby giving room for new persons to emerge.

In Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency, there is a mutual agreement between the two local governments that make up the constituency. The unwritten accord is that one council produces a candidate, others backing him for one term of four years, while the other council produces the next candidate.

This has been the pattern since the inception of democratic rule in 1999. So, this time, the incumbent member of the House of Representatives from the constituency, Mr. Jonathan Aminu, whose tenure will end in May, having spent his four years, did not seek re-election.

It is a fresher, Mr. Solomon Mareng, who contested and won the seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam constituency, where there is no such arrangement, Timothy Golu clinched the seat, thereby succeeding Emmanuel Go’ar, the incumbent legislator, who contested the Plateau Central Senatorial seat but lost. Golu is a member of the state House of Assembly whose tenure will run out in May this year.

In the House, he is said to have delivered qualitative representation. He is of the PDP. Honourable Johnbull Shekaran, member representing Shendam/Quaan Pan/Mikang in the state House of Assembly contested the House of Representatives election and won.

He is taking over from the incumbent, Mr. Innocent Tirse, who lost re-election. Shekarau was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly in the state when he was unceremoniously impeached.

He is also of the PDP. For Jos/Bassa Federal Constituency, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande of the all Progressives Congress (APC) won a landslide victory against his PDP challenger, the immediate past Commissioner for Works, Mr. Chris Hassan.

Suleiman is the incumbent federal legislator representing that constituency on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) before he defected to the APC. His representation was felt by his constituents, who refer to him as generous.

In Jos East/Jos South, Hon. Bitrus Kaze of the House of Representatives will give way to Mr. Edward Pwajok, who resigned his position as longest serving Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to contest the election.

Jeremiah Useni

Jeremiah Useni

In the House of Representatives, the presence and impact of Kaze cannot be ignored as he made meaningful contributions on the floor of the National Assembly. Kaze, having spent eight consecutive years, did not seek re-election.

But Pwajok is going to the House for the first time. He is PDP. The Langtang North/Langtang South Constituency went to the incumbent Federal legislator representing the constituency, Hon. Beni Lar. He contested on the platform of the PDP.

But Wase Federal constituency has only one local government as constituency. Hon. Idris Majei was again elected on the platform of the APC. That of Barkin Ladi/ Riyom federal constituency went to Istifanus Dalyop Gyang for the first time.

He contested on the platform of the PDP. In the Senate slots, former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, General Jeremiah Useni (rtd) contested the Plateau South Senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP defeating his army counterpart, General John Shagaya (rtd) of the APC. Shagaya was a senator before he contested and failed a governorship bid in 2011.

For Plateau Central, former governor of the state, Senator Joshua Dariye, is going back to represent the same zone. He contested the slot during his first tenure in 2011 on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), and this time on the platform of the PDP, having defected from the LP.

He had no challenger. In Plateau North, Governor Jonah Jang of the PDP contested against the APC candidate, winning with a narrow margin. Jang will be going to the Senate for the first time after completing his tenure as governor in May.

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