March 21, (THEWILL) – Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, under the aegis of APC Bigwigs, have called on governorship aspirants for the upcoming 2023 election, to stop name-calling by claiming that they have been anointed by Governor Simon Lalong to take over from him in 2023.
Addressing newsmen on Monday on behalf of the group in Jos, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, said the governor is an impartial man, who obeys the rule of law and is giving everyone a level playing ground and equal opportunity.
He said some of the aspirants using the Governor’s name are just trying to craftily boost their candidature to mislead the people, because Lalong has not declared that he has any ‘anointed candidate.’
According to Zazzaga, “we are aware of those who indulge in this campaign strategy, and if they don’t desist henceforth, we will petition them to the party as well as the governor.”
Zazzaga further explained that the aspirants involved in such practice are trying to cause division in the party as well as disaffection between the governor and other stakeholders, groups, individuals, and interested parties in the APC.
He urged the public to disregard those using the Governor’s name to campaign, as such claim is baseless and untrue.
The Group also urged the governor to investigate the matter and call those involved in the act to desist forthwith since his name is at stake.
In another development, Zazzaga called on some mischief makers trying to destabilise the party by lying against the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari, to retrace their steps.
He observed that the nefarious activities of the mischief-maker’s peddling rumours that Ari is seeking elective position, and that he is supporting some candidates in the party, is mischief taken too far, since Ari himself has repeatedly denied that he is not seeking any elective position, or in support of any aspirant’s candidature.
According to him, this new trend to destabilise their party must be checked immediately because the perpetrators could have more sinister motives that cannot be determined in a hurry.
“Normally, everyone knows that for any influential person supporting a political candidate, it is usually done underground and not openly, not to talk of a civil servant like Joe Ari, whose mandate is still within the ITF, and he is actualising its core values and the confidence bestowed on him by President Muhammadu Buhari”, he said
