Plateau election is as good as won, Gov Lalong says after meeting with Buhari

Ahead of Saturday’s supplementary election in Plateau, the state governor, Simon Lalong, has described the governorship poll in the state as good as concluded.

He said if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “like let them conduct the elections more than once, we will still win.”

The governor, who was not able to have a clear win during the March 9 governorship election in the state, stated this on Monday after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Earlier, the governor of Bauchi, Mohammed Abubakar, who is trailing behind the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state, Mohammed Bala, had also visited the president, possibly to brief him of the situation of things ahead the supplementary poll.

The two governors belong to the ruling the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Their visit comes five days before Saturday’s supplementary governorship elections in their states as well as in Adamawa, Benue, Kano and Sokoto.

However, Lalong who spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with Buhari said his visit to the villa was the “usual briefing” because of his passion for peace in Plateau State and not about the election.

He said, “It is about the peace, to ensure we have a very peaceful election. So far so good, we have had very good peaceful elections. We are coming back for supplementary elections. I will like INEC to conduct a peaceful election and so we will like the security apparatus to be on the ground in the state. That was my briefing to Mr. President.”

When asked if his visit as well as that of his colleague from Bauchi is borne out of the fear that Buhari’s decision not to interfere in the elections could lead to their electoral defeat, Lalong said:

“How can I be panicky when all the votes that were cancelled were my votes? These were areas that I won. There was no need for cancellation but then as a lawyer, I still want to comply with the rules, I don’t want to be talking about infringing on the rules when the elections result is very clear.

“They said registered voters were 49,000 but the votes were not up to 20,000 but people were still saying we need 49,000 and I was already on top with 45,000 votes.

“So we are going to get the 49,000. How can you imagine that a sitting governor cannot get 3,000 votes out of 39,000 in an area that I have well dominated for a very long time.”

READ ALSO: We’ll conduct supplementary elections Nigerian people will be proud of – INEC

Noting that Plateau election is as good as concluded as far as he is concerned, Lalong said, “People came and said their votes were cancelled. It is for them to go back and vote and ensure their vote counts this time around.

“That is why I support that we go back and conduct the elections. If they (INEC) like, let them conduct the elections more than once, we will still win.”

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