From Teryima Ajijah, Jos
Members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of the Plateau State House of Assembly have disassociated themselves from the recent vote of confidence on Governor Simon Lalong by the members of the House.
The legislators made their position public on Thursday, during a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Plateau Council.
Mr Daniel Nanbol Listick, member representing Langtang North Central who read text of the press conference said the nine members of the PDP in the state Assembly are not part of the pronouncement on the governor.
“The PDP Caucus of Plateau House of Assembly are not part of the publication that PLHA passed a vote of confidence on Governor Simon Bako Lalong which will be misunderstood by the public that gave us their mandate to represent them, hence the need to put the record straight.”
“For emphasis, the general public need to also know that the meeting that led to the pronouncement of Vote of Confidence on Governor Lalong was All Progressive Congress (APC) stakeholders meeting that was held on Tuesday 31st August, 2021 at the Victoria Gowon Multi-Purpose Hall, at Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos. The meeting was not in Plateau State House of Assembly hallowed chambers as insinuated.
“Honourable Members of APC extraction have the right to freedom of speech during association meetings just like the one held at Victoria Gowon Multipurpose Hall, the public need to be guided that all the statements made at the meeting don’t have any effect on the PDP Caucus of PLHA. The vote of confidence meeting was done by APC stakeholders not Plateau State House of Assembly. There are Legislative Procedures for passing a vote of confidence and the same procedure was followed to pass a vote of confidence on Rt. Hon. Abok Nuhu Ayuba on 24th December, 2019 and recently in July, 2021,” the statement read.
The PDP lawmaker stressed further that, “the general public should be informed that PLHA is made up of elected Honourable Members from twenty-four state constituencies and technocrats saddled with the responsibilities to carry out legislative business for the development of Plateau State and Nigeria at large. These elected Members are under different political platforms. Honourable Members elected under the platform of PDP in PLHA were not part of the APC Stakeholders meeting that passed a vote of confidence on the Governor.”
It will be recalled that a recent press statement issued by the Director of Press to Governor Lalong had reported that the House of Assembly passed a vote confidence on the governor for his proactive measures taken to tackle the recent Jos crisis.