All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Plateau State, Dr. Nentanwe Goshwe has perfected plans to use his contacts in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rig this weekend’s guber election in the state, a group, Plateau Emancipation Front (PEF) has alleged.
Goshwe, who was INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Benue State, was reportedly backed by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State to emerge the state’s APC governorship candidate in a bitter primary election.
In a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja, PEF said it had credible intelligence that after APC’s crushing defeat in the February 25 general elections, Governor Lalong contacted INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakoob to “save him from double embarrassment of allowing his candidate lose the governorship election.”
The statement was signed by the group’s coordinator, Dr. Emmanuel Pam.
Noted the group, “We all witnessed the monumental embarrassment INEC brought upon Nigerians in the February 25 polls. As if this isn’t bad enough, the trioka of Prof. Mahmud Yakoob, Governor Simon Lalong, and his protege Dr. Nentanwe Goshwe have perfected strategies to subvert the will of Plateau people by manipulating this weekend’s governorship election.”
It noted, “Dr. Goshwe has been going around town bragging about how he knows INEC inside out, and how he’ll use his ‘boys’ and expertise in ICT and digital systems engineering manipulate the servers and computers in the Commission to win this weekend’s governorship election.”
Continued the group, “Some Good Samaritans in INEC tipped us off on how huge sums of foreign currency changed hands all in the bid to auction the soul of Plateau State.
“We recall with sadness that it was the same Dr. Goshwe who used his contacts in INEC to help Governor Lalong win in 2019. To repay this ‘kindness,’ Governor Lalong humiliated his loyal deputy, Dr. Patrick Dakum and other top APC aspirants and rigged Goshwe to become the flag bearer,” claimed PEF, adding, “Governor Lalong should realize that Plateau State is not APC where he forced his INEC enforcer to become candidate.”
The group warned that it would resist every attempt by Prof. Yakoob to install a governor in Plateau State and then later tell them to go to court to challenge his decision.
“We are a peaceloving people. However, Prof. Yakoob should not mistaken our good nature for weakness. He should carry his rigging plans elsewhere. Plateau is tired of the shenanigans by APC and her officials,” declared PEF.
Recall that in the APC primary that threw up Goshwe, the former INEC official polled a stunning 803 votes to beat three other aspirants. Five other aspirants withdrew from the contest.