Plateau APC Shuns Lalong On Amaechi, As Osinbajo Holds Sway

Despite the overwhelming control of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the affairs of Plateau State, Governor Simon Lalong is fighting a desperate battle to mobilise electoral support for his one time patron and friend, Rotimi Amaechi in the forthcoming presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

GreenWhiteGreen GWG sources on the plateau say that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has taken a commanding lead among members of the APC in the state in a state that Amaechi ordinarily should be counting as his backyard upon his close relationship with Governor Lalong.

Governor Lalong developed a close relationship with Amaechi when both men served as speakers of the Plateau and Rivers State Houses of Assembly respectively.

When Amaechi became governor and crossed over to the APC he was largely believed to have been instrumental to the emergence of Lalong as APC candidate and as governor.

Lalong was also helped by the political blunder made by the last Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governor of the state, Jonah Jang who foisted a kinsman, Senator Gyang Pwajok as the 2015 PDP candidate against the principle of rotation.

However, almost seven years in office as governor, Lalong has been unable to build a political base to advance a political push for Amaechi despite coming out openly to identify with the former transportation minister.

Lalong was the only governor who attended Amaechi’s declaration for the presidency in April.

However, despite his avowed loyalty to Amaechi, the Plateau governor it was gathered has not been able to carry the party membership in Plateau towards his direction.

“The governor is on his own in his support for Amaechi,” a party faithful and former appointee of the governor told GreenWhiteGreen GWG.

Senator Timothy Adudu who is leading the campaign for Osinbajo on the Plateau told GWGNG that the majority of the people in the party were with the vice-president.

“Plateau is there for Osinbajo for the taking,” Senator Adudu told GWGNG.

Sources lay the blame on what is generally regarded as the perceived poor performance of the Lalong administration which has translated into the governor’s incapacity to mobilise the grassroots for Amaechi.

In-fighting within the APC has also not helped the governor with several party leaders taking different stances from the governor on issues.

The governor was also bruised last February when the PDP regained the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency in the bye-election. The PDP had not won the seat for almost twenty years but regained it under the Lalong administration after the governor’s ally was foisted as the candidate against the desire of the majority of party members for Lumumba Adeh.

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