Plans to return to Senate from prison
BY TAIWO FAROTIMI
Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau State, currently serving a 14-year jail term for corruption wants to return to the Senate. A nomination form has been picked for him.
Reports have it that the form has been filled and returned to the All Progressives Congress, APC secretariat in Jos, capital of the state. According to Mr. Chindo Dafat, APC publicity secretary in the state, the form was collected on behalf Dariye by “(His) ward secretary (who) came and signed the form on his behalf. It has been filled and his supporters are already campaigning ahead of the party primary election”. He will be contesting for the party ticket with Zakari Dimka, Sam Piwuna and Manji Pompori.
It will be interesting if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC clears Dariye, who though has appealed the judgement, for the election. This is because the constitution bars anyone who has been convicted from running for election.
The People’s Democratic Party, PDP has condemned the development. Mr Ben Shignugul, PDP Vice Chairman (Plateau Central) said “It is shocking that a convict serving a 14-year jail term will be given a nomination form to contest an election. This is just ridiculous”.
That also is curious, because a precedent had been set by a member of the PDP in the past. That time Iyiola Omisore, former deputy governor of Osun State and currently a candidate in the governorship contest in his state won election into the Senate while serving a jail term at Agodi prison in Ibadan. Omisore is running on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, having dumped PDP in protest against alleged betrayal.
Dariye was jailed in June after he was found guilty of misappropriating over N1 billion ecological fund, while in office as governor. Perhaps he is confident that he would win at the appellate court. Political leaders attest to his popularity in the state.
