Former governor Dariye, says Lalong wants to render him irrelevant in Plateau

By Kingsley Chukwuka

Former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye has accused Governor Simon Lalong of plotting to render him irrelevant in State Politics.

Dariye made the accusation in government house Jos on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, when he arrived in the city for the first time after being released from Kuje Prison.

 He particularly laid emphasis to the fact that the State Government chose to fix Wednesday as the day to unveil the State APC gubernatorial candidate’s campaign council, when they knew he will be arriving in Jos the same day.

Dariye said the aim of Governor Lalong was to ensure that the crowd and government functionaries that would receive him would rather be at the unveiling of the campaign venue.

“You chose today to fix a program for the APC when you know I will be coming to town. You did this to diminish me, but you are not God, nobody can diminish me. I thank God for the crowd that came to receive me”, Dariye said.

Our correspondent reports that the APC in the State unveiled its campaign council on Wednesday with the former Vice Chancellor of University of Jos Prof Sebastian Maimako appointed as the Director General of the governorship candidate campaign team.

However Senator Dariye commended the prayers and solidarity of everyone who worked for his pardon and subsequent release from prison, adding that God has disappointed those who tried to frustrate his return to the State.

He also appreciated what he termed as the magnanimity of President Muhammadu Buhari in granting him and former Governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame as well as others the pardon that saw to his release from prison.

His words, “We are here to rejoice, this is the day God has made, let me thank President Muhammadu Buhari, he was so magnanimous and gracious in granting us this pardon, myself and Nyame are co-beneficiaries of this gesture. That is why I am here to say thank you. If not for your prayers, collective solidarity, and determination, I will not have been here.

“Some people wanted to block the wheel of progress, I would have been languishing somewhere in Gwagwalada but God has disappointed them so that His name will be glorified. Plateau will continue to go forward and never backward again. Today is not a day of speech but I hope you have your PVC?”

Diverse speakers at the event including, Dr Patrick Dakum who is the Labour Party factional governorship candidate in the State, expressed joy at Senator Dariye’s return saying the crowd from different political parties, religions and tribes gathered at the event is a testimony that his coming is promoting unity.

Political watchers have however analysed that all may not be well between Governor Lalong and Dariye considering the turn of events that led to the hosting of the APC all important programme, which Dariye who is still a member of the Party is supposed to be in attendance.

Some have opined that Sen. Dariye did not approve the choice of Lalong’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections.