Barely a fortnight following the resignation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in the state, the State Executive Committee (SEC) has removed the acting chairman Hon Amos Gombi and endorsed Hon. Chris Hassan as his replacement.
The SEC members said the decision was base on Section 47 (6) of the PDP constitution, which stipulates that Plateau North was expected to fill in a candidate for the Chairmanship position.
But the removed acting chairman, Gombi dismissed change saying it was ‘a coup that would not stand’ and stressed that he remains the chairman since the party national leadership in a letter he had instructed him to stay and conduct the state congress.
Former chairman, Damishi Sango, had opted to step down on 5th December after some eight months of wrangling within the PDP in state
He said his action was done in the interest of peace within the party in the state and handed over to his Deputy, Hon Amos Gombi, who hailed from Plateau Central.
However, the Senator representing Plateau North, Senator Istifanus Gyang, said Monday that the SEC has removal Gombi as acting chairman of the party to harmonise with the constitution of the party.
“The position of the state chairman of the party was zoned to Plateau North Senatorial District and since the former Chairman, Damishi Sango resigned; Section 47 (6) of the PDP constitution stipulates that Plateau North was expected to fill in a candidate for the Chairmanship position and not Plateau Central where Amos Gombi come from”, Gyang said.
He said, Hassan who was the PDP zonal chairman for Plateau North, won election conducted at the zonal level, and his name was subsequently forwarded to the state Secretariat, adding the SEC members only ratified him as chairman of the party.
According to him, he thus replaced the substantive chairman who resigned about a fortnight.
The former governor of the state and member PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Jonah Jang said the action was based on the constitution of the PDP.
“As you are aware, we have been having some little family problems in the PDP that led to the resignation of the state chairman, and when a chairman resigns, the deputy chairman automatically becomes the acting chairman.
“But the constitution of our party says any member who resigned, the area that brought him will nominate someone to replace him, whatever is his position. We started this process last week by the northern zone where the former chairman comes from and there was a nomination for the replacement.
“A letter was written by the Executive Council of the northern zone to the State Executive Council (SEC) to inform them that someone has been nominated as replacement of the former chairman, who resigned and the SEC members met today and ratified the nomination of Chris Hassan as chairman of the party.”
Jang said he was only informed being one of the founding fathers of the party in the country; and that the State Executive Council has gone to the National Secretariat Abuja to submit the name of Chris Hassan as the state chairman of the party.
The new chairman of the party, Hon Chris Hassan, said he would complete the tenure of the northern zone and ensure that there is unity of purpose in the party ahead of the state congress where new officials will emerge.
Meanwhile, the embattled acting chairman, Hon Amos Gombi, described the action as a coup that will not hold.
“You can’t put something on nothing. I received a letter of my appointment as acting chairman last Friday from the National Secretariat, and if there is anything like replacement, they should have allowed me to convene a meeting first and then table it.
“The letter is clear that I will be there to conduct congresses and then go. They have forgotten that this was an agreement before Sango resigned, it will not hold, I learned that they have gone to Abuja”, he stated.
