Former Governor of Plateau State and a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Jonah Jang, has asserted that the forthcoming governorship and state house of assembly elections present another opportunity for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to redeem itself from the general poor perception Nigerians hold about the Commission.

The former governor, who took a swipe at the commission over the way and manner in which the last Saturday elections were handled, tasked all election stakeholders, including INEC and security agencies, to do what is necessary to forestall a repeat of the shortcomings of the presidential and national assembly polls.

He pointed out that INEC, in particular, should recognize that the destiny of the over 200 million Nigerians has been entrusted to them and that setting the nation on fire wilfully, either by omission or commission, is unpatriotic, and only posterity will judge.

Senator Jang, in a signed statement, said as the governorship and state houses of assembly approaches, there is a need for the PDP to close ranks, shelve all differences, and pursue the election as a common front, adding that the manipulated presidential poll should propel everyone to do what is right to put all candidates on a winning streak.

“We should not allow our emotions to overtake our sense of purpose at this time; the successes achieved in the past election must be the driving force for more outstanding achievements in the forthcoming polls, which are indeed local.”

“Having secured 5 out of 8 House of Representatives positions and 2 Senate positions already in the kitty, with a third on the horizon in Plateau State, we should be working hard to install a governor and a house of assembly who will join hands to stand for the interests of our dear state.”

“The pains and lessons of the past eight years, where we had the APC in government both in Plateau and at the national level but have had no benefit, are instructive.” The outcome of the presidential polls has shown where the leanings of Plateau people are; an APC government in the state is a subscription to further neglect, as experienced in the last eight years.

“Let’s not forget that the last eight years brought us untold hardship; we were almost robbed of our identity.” “Forces alien to us took control and nearly destroyed everything we stood for, all in an attempt to curry personal favor from the government at the center; we cannot afford to endure another eight years of total misrule; we must resist those who attempt to coerce our mind into believing that we are second-class people.”

Senator Jang implored the people of Plateau State to vote for a governor who will have the backing of state and national assembly members in pursuing the interests of the Plateau people.

“The time to act is now! The decision to build a virile plateau where unending peace reigns is ours to make. “We must not sit on the fence; we must defend our heritage, not just for ourselves but for our children and the oncoming generations.”

He called on the people of the Plateau State to come out in their numbers on Saturday, March 11th, to vote for the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, and other candidates of the party for state house of assembly elections.

The former governor, who said the ruling APC has been in power at the federal and state levels without any tangible development, added that throughout the eight years, people were dispossessed of their possessions, some were killed, others were maimed, while the state looked elsewhere.

He called on all, including the Obidents, not to lose faith but to join hands with the PDP to redeem the plateau and insulate it by voting for the PDP.