From Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
Following an election that lasted over 24 hours, Hon. Chris Hassan has been elected as the new PDP chairman in Plateau State.
Hassan scored 1, 629 votes to defeat Hon. Bitrus Kaze who got 22 votes, Ngo Monica Gwom got 13 votes, while Aminu Zang got no votes.
Chairman of the Congress Committee, Major Gen. Amnon Kwaskebe (rtd), who announced the results at Langfield, Jos, the State Capital, also declared Hon. Davou Mang as Vice Chairman, Plateau North with 1,325 votes against Arch. Dachollom Dahoro who scored 290 votes.
He said Simon Domle, Jeremiah Setmak emerged Vice Chairman Plateau South and Plateau Central with 1,542 and 1,231 votes respectively.
Kwaskebe noted that Capt. Bitrus Goleng (rtd) scored 1, 585 votes to defeat Hon. Amos Gombi who scored 29 votes, while Hon. John Akans scored 1, 520 votes to beat Emmanuel Macham who scored 22 votes to emerged as the State Publicity Secretary of the party.
He said Tuang Emmanuel emerged Secretary with 1,585 votes against Iliya Abdul Zakari with 12 votes while Matina Dakur emerged as woman leader of the party.
Chairman Caretaker Committee in the State, Sen. Suleiman Adokwe urged the new party Chairman to run an all inclusive government by bringing everybody on board to enable the party win the 2023 general elections.
He applauded the delegates for peaceful conduct and described the process as free, fair and credible.
In his acceptance speech, Chris Hassan, a former Commissioner of Works in the state and immediate past Vice Chairman, Plateau North Senatorial District of the party, promise to start reconciliation process within the party immediately.
Hassan pledged to work with Senator Jonah Jang, Senator Jeremiah Useni, former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu and former Minister, Hon. Damishi Sango and several others to return PDP to power in 2023.
He explained that it was PDP that built the new Plateau State Government House when he was Commissioner of Works and promised if he emerge the party Chairman, he would collects the keys in 2023 and return them to PDP.
It would be recalled that on the 28th August, 2020, sequel to the leadership crisis rocking the party in the State, some aspirants vying for State Executive positions vowed to boycott the State Congress.
Addressing journalists less than 24 hours to the Congress, former Acting National Legal Adviser, and aspirant for Vice Chairmanship position, Plateau North, Barr. Simon Jok, who spoke on behalf of other aspirants said, none of them were screened for the state Congress.
Jok said, “We purchased forms to contest for the State Congress of the PDP, we paid our administrative charges but we were not inform of the screening of aspirants which was done in secret.
“As we speak, we have 13 cases arising from Local Government Congress and 66 cases from wards Congresses”, he lamented.
