By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Plateau State, Amb. Yohanna Margif has said he paid N15 million to obtain the Labour Party Governorship nomination form in the State.
Margif said apart from obtaining the form, he also fulfilled all requirements of the party as stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party’s constitution.
The governorship candidate stated this while reacting to the factional candidacy of Mr. Patrick Dakum who for the past one month has thrown the Plateau Labour Party into a divided house.
Recall that there have been media reports that Amb. Margif negotiated selling his Labour Party Governorship ticket to Patrick Dakum, a report Margif has denied on several media platforms.
According to him: “There was never a time I considered selling my Governorship ticket to Dakum. I have always told him and others that I am in the race to win.
“I have always maintained that I have no such plans and will not jettison the mandate given to me for money, because the Labour party’s target is to clinch the number one seat, come 2023”, he said.
However, speaking in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, Margif described Dakum as an imposter parading himself as the Party’s candidate for the governorship race in the State.
He said Dakum made several attempts to persuade him to surrender his ticket and when all attempts failed, he connived with some party members and declared himself a candidate for the race.
Recall also that Patrick Dakum had said during his acceptance speech as a factional governorship candidate, that he emerged through affirmation by delegates across the 17 local councils of the State.
Reacting, Margif said: “All the news that I negotiated for money to relinquish my ticket was all propaganda. I told Dakum that if I sell this ticket because of money, I will not enjoy the money, I will die with it in my pocket before two weeks.
“I am sympathizing with Dakum because he is an imposter. He met me in Abuja, and I told him we can work together for the actualisation of my ticket and that when we form government we will all benefit.
“I even asked him why he is pressuring me to sell the governorship ticket to him. Are mine not eligible to contest elections? Are mine not Nigerian?, that was when he opened up and told me he wanted me to be John the Baptist and him the Messiah, and I told him, I am already sitting on the seat of the Messiah”.
When asked if he duly participated in the Labour Party’s Governorship primary election that came about his emergence as the authentic flag bearer, Margif said he met all the requirements and participated fully in the election.
“I remembered the day I came to the Labour Party, it was empty. I met with the Chairperson and I told her by the grace of God the party will win the election.
“During the Presidential primaries, I transported all the Plateau delegates by air to Asaba. I think it was even the first time some of them entered a plane. I did it because I think it was part of my contribution to foster democracy in the country”, Margif said.
Margif has however approached the court praying for it to stop Patrick Dakum from parading itself as the Labour Party Governorship candidate in Plateau State.
He has told the court that INEC has only his name in their portal as the sole candidate for the Plateau State 2023 governorship election.
