Plateau APC Sacks Elected Chairman; Congress Committee Declares First Runner’s Up Winner

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, Politics Monday, August 4th, 2014

Agabus Pwanagba, Jos

The Plateau’s State Congress Appeal Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has sacked its Chairman, Hon. Latep Dabang and declared the first runner’s up in the election conducted a few months ago, Hon. Amos Gombi the authentic State’s Chairman.

In a press statement entitled “Decision of the State Congress Appeal Committee for Plateau State” signed by Tijani Musa Tumsah and addressed to the Chairman state’s APC merging interim Chairman Sen. John Shagaya, also made available to African Examiner in Jos on Monday, confirmed that the National Congress Supervisory Committee has received and considered a petition submitted by Hon. Amos Gombi in relation to the recently conducted State congress.

It added that the petitioner submitted that the declared winner in the State Chairmanship election, Hon. Latep Debang was until the exercise day a staff of the National Assembly, serving under a Senator not on the platform of APC.

“The petitioner authenticated his claims by tendering all relevant documents as evidence of salary transfer for the month of March, 2014 into the account of Hon. Latep Dabang by the National Assembly as both claims were analyzed and found to be correct.

“The Appeal Committee therefore, acting on power bestowed on it has accordingly annulled the election of Hon. Latep Dabang as the State Chairman for Plateau State, election into other State offices are however upheld.

“In the same vein, the Committee has declared the first runner’s up Hon. Amos Gombi as the Plateau State Chairman of APC. The statement stressed.

Responding to the development, the new Chairman Hon. Amos Gombi told African Examiner that, “The National leadership of the party took into cognizance of the peculiarities of the State and returned all other officers of APC as duly elected.

Gombi pointed out “As part of my immediate programme, the present EXCO intends to set up two committees on mobilization and reconciliation whose objective will be to support officials in the 17 LGAs as well as to reconciled aggrieved party members who may have felt short changed during the last congress of the party in the State”.