There was mild drama at PLASIEC headquarters Jos, as fake candidate attempted to smuggle his name as the legitimate winner of the People’s Democratic Party’s Councillorship Candidate of Kadung Ward in the forthcoming Pankshin Local Government Council Elections.
This took place yesterday, when the legitimate winner of the PDP Primaries for the Councillorship position, Hon. Daniel Godiya, was taken by surprise at the PLASIEC during screening by when one Moses Phenomenon James, name was called during roll call.
According to the findings, the name of the rightful Candidate of Kadung Ward Councillorship, Daniel Godiya, was replaced by some stakeholders whose interest was not for the legitimate winner of the primaries after going through processes.
Speaking shortly after the screening to the Candidate, Hon. Daniel Godiya, revealed that his elected was done by his constituents when the claimed intruder had not shown interest to contest, not to talk of winning the election.
He expressed shock that the unknown name was smuggled in and called during the screening exercise saying, “I was duly elected by the constituents of Kadung Ward and my name was forwarded to PLASIEC lask week.
“I was at the party office last week and was given a Nomination Form of PLASIEC to fill and my name was shortlisted. I saw my name as number eleven (11), Daniel Godiya, of Kadung Ward, but I was shocked when names of candidates were called local government by local government and my name was not called.
“When I heard a different name was called, I immediately when to the notice board where the names of elected PDP Councillorship Candidates were placed and I snapped where my name is as number eleven (11).
“I then went back and approached one of the officials and he asked if I had submitted my Nomination Form and I said yes. When he took me to the ICT Section and uploaded the system, my name was there and he printed my form and I went for the screening”, Godiya disclosed.
He, however, wondered why some groups of persons acted this way by deliberately wanting to spark unrest in Kadung Ward, describing it as cruel and unusual as well as unfortunate.
He commended PLASIEC for their transparency in the election process saying, ” this shows that, there is hope for the common man and the votes of the people will truly counted in the forthcoming Local Government elections”.
Although, efforts by our correspondent to reach the PDP Chairman of Kadung Ward, Hon. Bulus Luwa, proved abortive as his phone line was not available.
However, while contacting the Deputy Chairman of Kadung Ward, Hon. Mrs.Yunnasi Monday, she confirmed that the legitimate winner of the Kadung Ward Councillorship primaries was Hon. Daniel Godiya, and that, whatever name called during roll call at the PLASIEC was fake and not recognised.
She accused the Ward Chairman of meddling with the authentic decision and choice of Kadung Ward people saying, “when I called the Chairman of the party, he told me that they were just returning from Jos and that, they only recognised candidate is one Moses Philemon James, whom we do not know.
“As far as I am concerned, the party chairman is responsible for the crisis he is trying to cause. We as party Executives, only recognised Daniel Godiya who has been our member from day one and not a Candidate from APC who has not gotten a waiver and was not even elected”, the Deputy Chairman confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State PDP Chairman, Hon. Chris Hassan, has confirmed the incident and promised to settle the issue amicably for the interest of the peace and the unity of the party.
At the point of filing this report, the Head of Media of PLASIEC, Koro Yakubu, said, she was not aware of the incident.
Some PDP Elders of Kadung Ward, however, allegedly accused former APC State Chairman who is now in PDP and not even from Kadung Ward, Chief Latep Dabang, of trying to meddle in the peaceful conduct of the their elections.
They said, he was trying all he could to smuggle all his loyalists who decamped from APC together with him not long ago into forming a new structure in the system.
Streetbell Online 