Five former commissioners in the administration of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State have defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress.
The six commissioners, who were received at the commencement of the governorship campaign rally of the party governorship candidate of APC in Plateau State, Mr. Simon Lalong, were former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Nuhu Gagara; Special Duties, Mr. Danny Ajik; Environment, Nankin Bagudu; Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Benehel Andong; Agriculture, Mr. Na-Allah Mutbam, and Special Adviser Media, Mr. Dan Manjang.
Also, the former PDP governorship aspirants, Professor Longmas Wapmuk and Mr. Godfrey Miri, and former Minister of State for Sciences and Technology, Mrs. Pauline Tallen and other top PDP members crossed carpet to APC.
Speaking at the rally, Lalong bemoaned the debt profile of the state, which he put at over N100bn, adding that there is a need to rescue the state from total collapse. He promised to lay a solid foundation of the development for the state.
He said that if elected into office, he will ensure that salaries of civil servant, who are the engine room of government, is paid as at when due and creation of job opportunities for the youth, who are the leaders of tomorrow.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Nuhu Gagara said the group is made up of men and women of integrity, who had worked at various times and in various capacities in Jang administration for the progress of Plateau State and Nigeria as a whole.
“In the light of above, we have decided to jump out of the sinking ship of the Peoples Democratic Party and declare for the All Progressives Congress and have decided to work for the victory of APC at all the elections in the state and at the federal level,” he said.
He said the group also intended to use its platform to break the tag of APC as a party of Muslims, which he noted some mischief makers were using to confuse the people of Plateau State. [myad]
