‘Lalong Desperate to Rig Elections with Appointment as DG APC Campaign Body’

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Executive Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Hon. Joshua Ubandoma Laven, has alleged that the state Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, is desperate to rig the 2023 elections in the state for the All Progressives Congress (APC) “because of his appointment as the Director-General of campaign for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.”

Laven described as very unfortunate, “the meeting of the governor with supporters in Southern Plateau where he was inciting them to violence.”

He made the disclosure while reacting to Lalong’s outburst in Shendam while addressing APC stakeholders saying: “We would do everything to win, and whoever feels disenfranchised should go to court and seek redress, after all, the APC is the federal government.”

Laven said there was nothing on the ground to support Lalong’s confidence and claim during the meeting that the APC will win the three senatorial seats, the eight Federal House of Representatives seats, and all the 24 seats in the state House of Assembly, adding that the governor is trusting only on rigging the elections.

He said as DG of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation, Lalong and his party have already concluded plans to rig the 2023 elections in the state, adding: “I can assure anybody that with this eye opener, the governor is going to find it very tough since he has made it clear that the election is going to be rigged, because the Plateau people will not give him that chance.”

Laven explained that this was not how a leader should speak, noting that the governor is always making inflammatory statements that tend to disunite the state.

Cautioning the governor, the chairman urged him to steer clear from Plateau Southern zone because he would not be able to rig out the will of the people in 2023.

He said: “Lalong cannot succeed in doing that in Southern Plateau because he lacks the capacity and cooperation to execute such plan. With the statement credited to him, we are not going to take it lightly with him. I want the INEC and the public to know that Lalong and the federal government have concluded plans to rig the 2023 general election in Plateau State because he is desperate as the DG of Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation to win the state for the APC.”

But reacting to the alllegation, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Sylvanus Namang, said Laven and the opposition party have already conceded defeat before the elections.

He said: “They are jittery of the ruling party everywhere in the state, even when the campaigns have not started.”