August 14, (THEWILL) – The eventual return to freedom last week of former Governor Joshua Dariye has put a spanner in the works in Plateau Sate as political calculations and the political firmament have changed dramatically, forcing many to review their plans, projections, and strategies, as permutations seem to suggest that anything can happen in 2023.
Prior to his release, it was certain that the much hyped 2023 general election, which process is already imbued with sensibilities, sentiments and surmises, bookmakers of Plateau politics had ruled that it is a straight fight between the much refurbished and psychologically stabilised political army of former governor, Jonah David Jang, in the PDP, and the quarrelling, quarrelsome, garrulous, disconcerted, and miasmic political army of the incumbent governor, Simon Bako Lalong who himself is presently in a free fall in opinion polls.
As a matter of fact, when political intrigues and intricacies seized the freedom of Joshua Dariye for one hundred and fifteen days after the President pronounced a Presidential pardon on April 14, Simon Bako Lalong, as the State Governor, was accused as the author and finisher of Dariye’s false and continued incarceration because he wanted to manipulate and determine the outcome of the APC gubernatorial primary before Dariye arrives to impact on his arrangements.
True or false, Lalong succeeded: the APC gubernatorial primary in Plateau was only so-called, and at best a charade and shameless miscarriage of justice. Governor Lalong was able to emasculate the whole process leading to the primary election of the APC – he made sure delegates were not elected, as he selected those who ‘voted’ in the ‘primary’ that was protested, and is being contested by eighteen other aspirants, including Joshua Dariye’s Manfriday, Patrick Dakum, who had the potential to win the APC gubernatorial primary given a level playing ground.
On Friday, July 5, however, a third force arrived the scene, which, barring possible political and legal hiccups, makes the race to the Government House, Rayfield, Jos, not exactly a handshake or confrontation between the colourful political soldiers of the Redemption college of former governor Jonah David Jang, and the ragtag army of Governor Lalong’s ill-kept Rescue school of self-seeking soldiers of fortune. The third force hit the scene that fateful Friday with Patrick Sunday Dakum emerging from a cult-like and thoroughly controversial primary of the Labour Party as its preferred gubernatorial candidate for 2023. While the confusion that produced Dakum was yet to settle, the national leadership of the Labour Party, in an expensive after-thought and what many see as an emulating reflex action, announced the expulsion of the initial Plateau State gubernatorial candidate of the Party, Ambassador Yohanna Margif, on spurious grounds, four days after a parallel candidate, Patrick Sunday Dakum, emerged from a disputed and discredited primary.
Although the estranged and embattled Ambassador Yohanna Margif is reportedly in Court to put a battle that will put some letters of the new Electoral Act to test, there is high spirit in the camp of Dakum, especially as his disputed and questionable emergence prefaced and interfaced with the eventual release of his political godfather, Joshua Dariye, from prison.
This certainly caused a stir in the political circles in Plateau. Many argue that Dariye’s imprisonment was for him a period of education and philosophising. Having been jailed by the APC, many argue, Presidential amnesty may neutralise the scar but cannot obliterate the memory and neutralise his anger and disappointment with his jailers. Secondly, with feared complicity of Governor Lalong and his hatchet men in the machination and mischief that delayed Dariye’s release till last week, the former governor is certain not to pitch tent with the APC in the next elections for any reason.
Thus, the emboldened but apparently pyrrhic celebration in the State Labour Party that a big fish is inevitably in the net is understandable. This is responsible for some kite flying last week to the effect that the Labour Party has honoured the former governor with the ticket of the Plateau Central Senatorial position.
It was obvious at press time that this kite will not fly, with resplendent indications that not only will the kite refuse to fly, it will not lay eggs either for its owner to be consoled. Since his release last Monday, August 8, Joshua Dariye is yet to arrive Jos from his Abuja home where he is savouring initial recuperation. Secondly, a family source said at press time that a humbled and sober Dariye requires some time for rumination and reflections, and is not ready for politics now – at least not this far spent processes to 2023.
Observers also say the period of his incarceration also sapped him financially. For him to impact on the process, pull the strings expected of him and change the game in his characteristic fashion, he requires not just the structures and the connections to activate the network, he needs the cash to enervate the impetus and deploy the troops to produce results. He is neither ready to sponsor candidates or go into big time spending, especially because of the betrayal and cruel lessons he learnt from the attitude of Simon Lalong and his ‘boys’ while in prison
On the home front, matters are solemn and heart-rending, and the family appears to be in need of more of his time for reorganization and repositioning. It will be recalled that while the former governor was serving out his prison term in Kuje, his over 90 years old father was kidnapped, and was eventually gruesomely murdered by his abductors. Since the tragic incident, Dariye has not as much as have a moment with the rest of the family on the necessary traditions and rites.
By and large, Dariye’s arrival on the scene will alter the calculations and arrangements towards 2023. However, the political elixir typical of him may not be as reactionary or potent and efficacious as it has been due to vicissitudes and varying variables. The Plateau APC should think less of his political medicine and therapeutics because the dispenser will not think and look at their direction this time. He may withhold the little he is ready to dispense to good will to the clamouring Labour Party because his political son, Dakum, is seeking from a house on a faulty foundation, and every investment may end as labouring in vain. At the end, the PDP may become the safe house for Dariye’s respite in 2023.
