A group, Progressives Foundation Movement (PFM) has raised alarm over the publication of Dr. Nentawe Goshwe as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State.
It warned that the party may not have a valid candidate on the ballot for the 2023 elections.
The group, in a statement issued, Tuesday, and jointly signed by Mr. Jacob Gyang, Elder Victor Useni and Musa Ardo, said they cannot guarantee supporting the party to victory in the forthcoming elections unless the right thing is done.
The group reminded the national leadership of APC under Senator Abdullahi Adamu of an earlier petition to him where all other aspirants that refused to participate in a purported primaries that produced Goshwe as governorship candidate following alleged irregularities vowed to seek justice if the party failed to use the window period for substitution of candidates to right the wrongs.
The aggrieved foundation members of APC said they indicated their respective interests to contest the Governorship of Plateau State on the platform of the APC.
They said they took all the requisite steps, including, but not restricted to buying the party’s nomination forms, believing that the processes leading to the party primaries were not only going to be all inclusive, but was to be free, fair and credible.
The group decried the non-compliance to the party’s guidelines and litany of undemocratic practices in the primary which foisted Goshwe on them.
It stated: “The case in Plateau State was completely different and in outright contravention of the APC Guidelines and Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 (As Amended).
“An unknown list of delegates was concocted in Jos, kept in Jos and was used, whereas the State Party Chairman had assured us of full compliance to the party guideline where from election of delegates was to be conducted in all the 207 Wards of the State on the scheduled date as indicated in the party guidelines. This can be verified by the INEC report on the Party Primaries in Plateau State.
“Given the last window of opportunity as prescribed by the Electoral Act (2022) as Amended. We once again reiterate and rest upon our earlier petitions on the invalidity of the candidacy of Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe and State unequivocally that unless the party takes urgent and acceptable decisive steps to address this issues, and amicably resolved same, we cannot guaranty supporting the party to victory in the forthcoming elections for the following reasons:
“That Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, was a staff of INEC until 23rd December, 2021, when he purportedly resigned his appointment but he had not resigned his appointment from the University of Agriculture, Makudi, from where he had gone to on secondment.”