The Coalition for Justice, Equity, and Good Governance (CJEGG) has called for the immediate cancellation of the Plateau Youth Council (PYC) elections held on September 25th, citing alleged government interference, irregularities, and manipulation of the delegate list.
Comrade Manasseh Jugu, the North Central Coordinator of CJEGG, expressed serious concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, which he claimed lacked transparency, fairness, and was a blatant abuse of the PYC constitution.
In a statement released by CJEGG, Jugu accused certain political actors from Mangu Local Government Area of hijacking the entire election process to advance a political agenda, despite assurances from the state government that it would not interfere.
He further alleged that these individuals sought to undermine the Chairman of the Larger House, an independent body of veterans that plays an advisory role to the Youth Council.
“The voices of reason from the Bokkos people and veterans were completely ignored. The election became a show of power and manipulation as a few individuals from Mangu, who are currently in government, imposed their will on the entire process,” Jugu stated.
According to CJEGG, the government’s “anointed” candidate, Panan Dapar Gongden, was brought to the election venue in government-branded security vehicles with a full security escort, signaling government endorsement.
Jugu noted that Gongden, upon picking up his nomination form, went directly to Little Rayfield to seek blessings from the “powers that be,” raising questions about the fairness of the process.
In what Jugu described as a clear case of undue influence, the list of delegates was allegedly altered, replacing legitimate district-elected delegates with handpicked individuals.
“These kangaroo delegates, who were never elected by their respective districts, were lodged in hotels the night before the elections and paid handsomely to support the anointed candidate. As a result, the legitimate delegates were sidelined, and some only discovered their names had been replaced upon arrival at the venue,” Jugu revealed.
CJEGG warned that the flawed process would lead to legal challenges against the announced PYC chairman and expose the manipulations carried out by those involved.
The coalition also expressed concern that the PYC elections, which should be an avenue to unite Plateau youths, had instead become a source of acrimony among brothers and sisters from the same constituency.
“The PYC elections will go down in history as the most autocratic and coercive election process ever, akin to the military junta era,” Jugu stated.The coalition emphasized that the PYC chairmanship position was micro-zoned to Bokkos Local Government Area, but the results favored Mangu, in what they described as a deliberate disregard of micro-zoning arrangements.
“There are insinuations that the Chairman of the Larger House, Chief Maqual, is an APC supporter, and this may have influenced the decision to manipulate the process. However, the PYC should not be turned into a battleground for settling political scores,” he added.
CJEGG called on Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang to intervene and correct what they termed as a travesty of democracy. The coalition warned that failure to address these concerns would set a dangerous precedent that could undermine the future of youth leadership in Plateau State.
“This manipulation will have far-reaching consequences. The governor, who has always expressed his love for youths, should act swiftly to rectify this flawed process. The PYC elections are no longer building the youth but setting them against each other,” Jugu remarked.
The coalition also disclosed that a group of Plateau State Youth Council aspirants has expressed dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the electoral process that led to the emergence of Gongden as chairman.
The group accused the government of scripting the election to favor a predetermined outcome, which they argue has violated the principles of equity and justice.
Jugu highlighted that Mapis Jonathan Marawes, a prominent contender for the chairmanship, who came second in the elections, was a staunch supporter of the PDP and Governor Mutfwang.
Despite this, he was allegedly sidelined in favor of Gongden, whom sources claim is from the APC extraction. “If Mapis is being denied because he is an APC person, then why not go for Mapis, who has supported this government wholeheartedly?” Jugu queried.
The coalition reiterated that the recent PYC election has set a bad precedent for youth development in the state and called on the governor to correct the injustice.
“The government should remember that it is for all and not for a particular ethnic group or local government. If this travesty is not reversed, it will destroy the unity of Plateau youths,” he concluded.
CJEGG and other concerned groups have vowed to seek legal redress and pursue other measures to ensure that the sanctity of the PYC is restored, if their demands are not met.
