The embattled governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Plateau state, Mr Godfrey Miri has reiterated that he is still an authentic governorship candidate of his party in the state.
Miri who was a former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner of Gombe State made the statement in an interview with Daily Trust in Jos on Tuesday.
Recalled that SDP in the state has two factions; Badung and Dogara Abubakar’s factions.
The party in the state under the leadership of Dogara Abubakar said its governorship candidate is Ambassador John Pofi, not Godfrey Miri, whose name was published by Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
However, Badung’s faction declared support for Miri.
In his reaction, Miri said he was confirmed and affirmed as the governorship candidate of SDP in the state during his party’s gubernatorial primary conducted by the electoral panel sent to the state by the national leadership of his party.
He said, “I am the bonafide candidate, because INEC published my name as the governorship candidate of SDP in Plateau state, and I was affirmed and confirmed as the governoship candidate during primary election conducted by Dallatu Dass and Ezekiel Uzochukwu the Chairman and Secretary of the electoral panel respectively sent by the national leadership of our party,” he said.
To back up his assertion that he is the bonafide candidate, Miri showed a document titled “SDP Primary Elections 2018, Report of Electoral Panel, Plateau state’ to Daily Trust’s reporter.
The document jointly signed by Dallatu Dass and Ezekiel Uzochukwu as the Chairman and Secretary of the electoral panel has shown that Miri was affirmed as the governorship candidate of his party in Plateau state.
The document also explained that Amb. John Pofi did not submit any personal documents, expression of interest form and or nomination form to the electoral panel.
When contacted, the factional Chairman of Plateau SDP, Dogara Abubakar denied knowledge of the said document signed by the electoral panel sent to the state by the party’s national leadership.
He said: “Let me tell you, I am the only SDP’s Chairman in the state, I am not aware of any document by the electoral panel. Therefore, Amb Pofi is the SDP’s governorship candidate in Plateau state.”
