The Director General of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, Joseph Lengman, has expressed satisfaction with what the Agency has been able to achieve over the years, in terms of restoration of peace and engaging peace initiatives in troubled parts of the State.
Speaking during a review of its operations in the immediate past year, Lengman acknowledged that the challenges have been many, but the Agency remained focused and consistent on delivering on its mandate, by coordinating and directing all stakeholders and their initiatives towards the ideal of entrenching enduring peace in different parts of the State.
The process of building peace and restoring confidence among the various communities and tribes, he said, has been daunting, noting that sometimes the Agency had to spend time and resources to repeat certain activities and peace engagements, in order to achieve the desired results.
The most cherished achievement in this regard during the period under review is the establishment of the Community Peace Architecture Forum, which has provided a platform for regular stakeholders’ interface, as well as keeping community leaders on the routine of building and discussing the analysis of early warning signals.
According to Lengman, a major pillar of the Community Peace Architecture Forum is the emergence of the Peace Corps, whose primary objective is to strengthen the capacitíes and structures of the Plateau Peace Building Agency, PPBA.
Lengman noted that the Agency has had a major challenge of managing the numerous and oftentimes duplicitous non-governmental organisations, NGOs, that emerged on the scene as part of the post-crisis management initiatives.
Some of the NGOs, he said, were better merged, one to synchronise their functions, and two to reduce their number to a more manageable scale.
However, he said, this effort is being frustrated by the conveners of such NGOs, who have come to embrace peace practising as a form of Enterprise.
Promising that the PPBA will strive to achieve more in the new year, the director general said accountability and transparency regulate all the engagements and operations of the Agency, as it must justify all its expenses with projects executed and results achieved.
Factional National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Bala Gombe, has reacted to the court judgement that sacked David Mark's faction of the party and nullified Atiku Abubakar's candidacy for the 2027 presidential election.
Gombe commended the Federal High Court and the trial judge for what he described as the independent, impartial and intellectually rigorous manner in which the matter was handled and determined.
He said his commendation, as a citizen and stakeholder in the nation's democracy, was that of someone who recognised that when a court speaks with clarity, courage and fidelity to the law, the public must also respond with gratitude.
"By every measure, this was a politically sensitive, highly charged and nationally watched dispute. It touched on party autonomy, internal democracy, constitutional supremacy within political associations, and the proper role of the Independent National Electoral Commission as regulator," Gombe said in a statement reacting to the judgement.
"It is precisely in such cases that judicial independence is most tested, and most needed.
"By subjecting the question of leadership emergence to constitutional and statutory scrutiny, rather than to political expediency, His Lordship affirmed a foundational principle of Nigerian jurisprudence as provided in Sections 1, 6, 228 and 223(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: political parties are not above their own constitutions, and the Electoral Act is not a mere suggestion.
"Where a party's constitution prescribes a procedure for succession and leadership must be obeyed. Where a political party fails to comply with the rules, procedures, and constitutional provisions laid down for its own governance, the court is duty-bound to intervene in order to safeguard democracy, uphold the rule of law, and prevent anarchy, as no man is above the law, and no man is below it.
"This commendation is not merely about one litigant succeeding and another losing. It is about what the judgement represents for Nigerians and for the African Democratic Congress:
"It restores public confidence that a judge can still decide on the law and the facts alone, uninfluenced by political pressure, media commentary, or the weight of personalities involved in the suit.
"It affirms that leadership must emerge through lawful process, not through imposition, and that aggrieved members have a legitimate right to seek redress in court rather than resort to self-help.
"It reassures ordinary Nigerians that the court remains the last hope of the common man, and indeed, of every man.
"As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, 'justice must not only be done, but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.' His Lordship's conduct in this suit embodies that principle.
"I therefore respectfully commend His Lordship for upholding the independence of the judiciary and the sanctity of the judicial oath to do right to all manner of people without fear or favour, affection or ill-will; demonstrating patience, erudition, and firmness in a matter of immense political sensitivity; and delivering a judgement that strengthens the rule of law, party discipline, and constitutional democracy in Nigeria.
"May His Lordship's example continue to inspire the Bench and the Bar, and may the Federal High Court continue to stand as a bastion of impartial justice.
"I also wish to place on record my profound commendation to our team of lawyers for their exceptional diligence, intellectual rigour, and unwavering commitment to the cause of justice. Their professionalism, perseverance, and fidelity to the rule of law were instrumental in ensuring that justice was not only sought, but seen to be done.
"I further extend my heartfelt gratitude to our teeming supporters across the length and breadth of this country for their steadfastness, loyalty, and fervent prayers throughout this process. Your faith and solidarity have been a source of immense strength and encouragement."