THERE was a mild drama in Jos-South Local Government Secretariat Wednesday, when the suspended Council Chairman Rt. Hon. Gideon Dandereng and the newly appointed Interim Management Chairman, Hon. Peter Dung Vwang stormed the Secretariat to enter office.
The Secretariat was as early as 8am filled to the brim with supporters from both sides trying to unseat the suspended Chairman who was already in office to give way to the appointed which was resisted by his supporters amidst stiff security.
However, it took two hours for Elders from the APC and PDP in closed door meeting to arrive at what seemed like resolution, but when the PDP Elders came out, some youths reinforced and went back destroying the Chairman’s Tables and Chairs where security personnel threw tear gas without any arrest made or attempt to dispel these youths.
In a chat with the suspended Chairman, he said, “according to the Constitution of Nigeria, there is nothing like Management Committee and if any state adopt any of such, it is illegal. I was elected in 2021 according to Elereports Law and the constitution of Nigeria.
“I am an elected Chairman and my will elapsed in October 2024. All this move by some people who were said to be appointed are illegal. I have the Court injunction restraining any people or group of people as Transition Committee so, whoever is staging coming in as Chairman is illegal”, he explained.
However, the suspended Chairman later went out based on considerations made by him being the legitimate Chairman as pronounced or ordered by the Court. There were tear gas at the Secretariat shortly after the Chairman left.
Meanwhile, the said appointed Transition Chairman, Hon. Peter Dung Vwang, appreciated his supporters and party faithful for the show of love for him and the Local Government Area and prayed that this would come to an end for them to officially come in.
It would be recalled that, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) so filed Suit No. PLD/J257M/2023- HON. MISKOOM ALEXANDER NAANTUAM & ORS. VS GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE & 1 OR before Justice I. I. Kunda and that the said motion was served on the Governor on June 1, 2023 at 12:43pm respectively.
According to the ALGON Chairman, at the the press conference, “the order which was issued or made on the 9th day of June 2023, has been served on the Governor. We are hopeful that the Governor , being himself a lawyer will above by the order of the High Court of Justice of Plateau State”, the Chairman of Shendam Local Government prayed.
