Tension As Jos North Wait Court Verdict On Council Poll
By Mark Mayah
Palpable tension emerges in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state as voters await the ruling of the High Court on whether or not the opposition PDP candidate would participate in October 9th council poll.
Authorities are working extra miles to avoid any confusion that could throw the municipal council into another circle of violence, following the last August stalemate that resulted in the lost of lives and properties.
However, findings from Jos North Thursday revealed that the Afezire, Anaguta and Berom youths who are not happy with the manner in which the rulling APC state government under Governor Simon Bako Lalong has propped out a sole candidate for Jos North.
The APC candidate, Alhaji Shehu Bala Usman is the sole candidate as his PDP challenger, Hon. Hweelleng Nyam was disqualified from contesting by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC.
PLASIEC cited the recent court ruling which sacked the Hon. Chris Hassan led a faction of the PDP who fielded Hon. Nyam as it’s candidate.
But the youths hinged their concerns on the fragrant abuse of the zoning formula for picking local government council Chairmanship between the Afezire, Anarguta and Berom ethnic nationalities.
The APC according to the youths had set aside the zoning arrangements by picking Alhaji Shehu Bala Usman as a candidate against the common wishes of the people.
They are threatening the manner in which the state government under the leadership of Governor Lalong is manipulating it’s way to force on them an Hausa man to be elected as the chairman of Jos North council.
The atmosphere is already tense in the build up to the forth coming local government elections slated for the 9th of October, 2021 across the Seventeen local government areas of the state.
The state government through Prof. Danladi Atu, who is the Secretary to the State Government is accused of manipulating the processes to pave way for his political ambition as well as to make him remain relevance in Governor Lalong’s government beyond 2023.
Prof. Atu who declined media enquiry on the issue believed to be scheming for the 2023 Senate of Plateau North but has remained the problems of Jos North.
