Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has said that he would not interfere in the electoral process in the state, as he is concerned about maintaining peace in the state.
He was reacting to the allegations by the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party and others, who accused him of interfering particularly in the Plateau North Senatorial election and that of Jos North/Bassa federal constituency, whose results were not made public until after five days, a development which created tension in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission announced the results on Thursday, returning the PDP candidate, Istifanus Gyang, as the winner of the Plateau North Senatorial District while the result for Jos North/Bassa federal constituency was declared inconclusive.
In a statement in Jos on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Yakubu Dati said the pronouncement of the Plateau state office of the INEC on the delayed results for Plateau North Senatorial District and the Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency absolved the governor of any involvement in the electoral process.
The Commissioner said “Governor Lalong is the architect of a peaceful Plateau and would not turn round to threaten his good deeds by interfering in a process he is a contestant in and with no control over”
The Commissioner who quoted the Governor as saying that though he would have loved his party to win, as governor of all, he respects the wishes of the electorate which he describes as the beauty of democracy.
He said politics is a game of numbers and maintained that the Governor would work whoever INEC declares winner irrespective of religious, ethnic or political differences in advancing the interest of Plateau.
