Senator-elect to domesticate federal character principles in Plateau

Following his declaration on Thursday night as the winner of Plateau North Senatorial district election on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Istifanus Gyang said the focus now was how to effectively manage the diversity of tribes and religions in the constituency.

Gyang, in a chat with reporters yesterday, said that he would explore the new mandate to serve as a unifying platform where every group in Plateau North and indeed Plateau State will freely identify with a view to build bridges.

According to him, what he intends to do is to create “a platform that will promote understanding, banish animosity, but instill harmony for peaceful and communal co-existence among people of the constituency.

The senator-elect promised to domesticate federal character principle under constituency character in such a way that equity and fairness will be demonstrated in all the communities across the constituency so that no community will feel marginalized. He expressed gratitude to God for the announcement of his electoral victory five days after the polls had been conducted.

“When their mandate was taken hostage, God went into that captivity and loosened the chains that wanted to bound Plateau North. Plateau North is free and Plateau state is free,” he stressed.He promised to align with other like-minded senators in the 9th Assembly to represent INEC Amendment Bill in the quest for removing all encumbrances that are stalling our efficiency in the management of electoral process.

“It is to amend the law to make it impossible for this level of impunity and that I can assure you, I will be a prime mover along with other distinguished senators and other members of the national assembly to ensure that we deepen our democracy and rescue Nigeria from the dictatorial tendencies that we are witnessing,” he pointed out.

On the governorship election slated for next Saturday, he said he would mobilize the people because governorship election is a contest between ideas and impunity. “It is between people that have ideas, have an agenda for Plateau, have a programme and a government that is clueless. You will see the voter turnout that day because the destiny of Plateau is at stake.

Meanwhile, the Plateau State Government has also reacted to the release of the results of the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Commissioner for information and Communication, Yakubu Dati, in a press statement in Jos, explained that as an architect of peace, Lalong will not turn around to soil his good deeds by interfering in a process he is a contestant which he does not have control over.