Posted by By Taye Obateru on
THE race for the governorship of Plateau State is heating up with the emergence of aspirants from the southern axis of the state who appear poised to slug it out with those from the northern axis where many expect the next governor to come from.
JOS - THE race for the governorship of Plateau State is heating up with the emergence of aspirants from the southern axis of the state who appear poised to slug it out with those from the northern axis where many expect the next governor to come from.
Vanguard investigations revealed that at least three aspirants are warming up to join the race and are said to be capitalizing on the seeming difficulty among aspirants from the northern zone particularly those of the dominant Berom ethnic group to agree among themselves.
It was learnt that the aspirants from other zones are trying to capitalize on the disagreement among the Berom and other aspirants from the zone which has made it impossible to work towards presenting a consensus candidate to boost their chances at the party primaries.
A source revealed that supporters of some of the aspirants have launched a campaign of calumny against other aspirants creating bad blood that could make compromise difficult.
According to the source who expressed concern about the matter, "the mud-slinging is getting rather dirty and some of us are disturbed about the whole thing. Prominent people have intervened but nothing has been achieved." He said it was important for the aspirants to call their supporters to order to prevent the governorship race getting dirty far ahead of the actual race.
Vanguard further gathered that the intervention of the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Victor Pam, who is the traditional head of the Beroms and some Berom bodies to get the aspirants and their supporters to tread softly so as not to frustrate the long-held dream of the ethnic group to produce a governor for the state has not had much impact.
A supporter of one of the aspirants from the southern zone justified the emergence of candidates from the zone even while he admitted that there was a "silent concession" that it was the turn of the northern zone to produce the next governor.
He said there was nothing wrong in others coming out "if the northern zone fails to put its house in order because the issue of zoning is a mere concession and not a right as such."
Among those being speculated as aspirants from the zone is an ANPP member of the House of Representatives from the zone, a prominent federal civil servant and a retired military officer. However, it was learnt that prominent people from the northern zone are making efforts to broker a truce among aspirants from the zone to ensure that the governorship does not elude the zone come 2007.