Lalong Dedicates Victory to Plateau People says, ‘No Victor, No Vanquished’

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The Plateau state governor who is also the governor-elect, Rt Hon Simon Bako Lalong has dedicated his victory at the poll to the people of Plateau state saying, ‘No Victor, No Vanquished’.

While presenting his acceptance speech, Lalong thanked people of the state who came out en-masse to vote for him and his deputy, Prof Sonni G. Tyoden to serve a second and final term in office.

He noted that their emergence is a, “clarion call on us to deliver dividends of democracy along the 5-point policy Thrust that we had presented.”

“With gratitude to God Almighty, on behalf of myself and the Deputy Governor, I sincerely thank you all. We whole-heartedly accept this mandate to serve for a second and final term with all the humility it deserves. Above all, we accept this mandate by equally soliciting your usual cooperation and partnership as we strive to sustain the execution of our mandate.” He said.

Lalong urged citizens to be magnanimous in victory and celebrate in harmony with even opposition without harassment, intimidation and provocative statements against any person or group.

He congratulated those that contested against him for their matured conduct during and after the electioneering campaigns while calling on them to join him in building a virile Plateau.

Speaking at the event, the governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru who was deployed to the state by APC National Secretariat to supervise the supplementary gubernatorial elections noted that the election was just a delay as he was sure that along would win. He urged the governor-elect to continue with the good work he has started.

Earlier, the APC Chairman in the state, Hon Latep Dabang thanked the people of the state for giving the party the opportunity of another four years.

Also speaking at the event, the Director General, Simon Lalong Campaign Organisation, Architect Pam Dung Gyang said that he had said it that there was no vacancy in Rayfield (Government House) and it has remained like that.

Barrister Luka Fungyil who was the APC returning agent said that the party won in eleven local government areas and scored more than 25 percent in the remaining 6 LGAs.

In the official result announced by INEC earlier, Lalong scored 595, 582 votes to defeat his closest rival, PDP candidate, Jeremiah Useni who scored 546, 813

Present at the briefing was the former deputy governor of the state, Dame Pauline Tallen, the Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Idris Waje, Ambassador Chris Giwa, leaders of other political parties and other leaders of the party in the state.