One Plateau, One Voice has urged Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, to resist what it described as pressure from sectional interests over the choice of a running mate for the 2027 governorship election.
The group, in an open letter to the governor, said the emerging debate over the deputy governorship ticket had gone beyond ordinary political speculation and could reopen old wounds and create fresh tensions in the state.
Signed by its Convener, Dogo Nanzing, the group said while it recognised the right of different communities to make political demands, the overriding consideration in selecting a deputy governor must be merit, integrity and commitment to the unity of Plateau.
“No one is arguing against the legitimate, good-faith principle that Plateau’s diversity should be reflected in governance. That principle is sound, and no responsible Plateau citizen rejects it. What we reject is the deliberate weaponisation of that principle by interests who have never cared about balance, fairness or unity.”
One Plateau, One Voice maintained that the Nigerian Constitution does not prescribe any ethnic, religious or sectional formula for the office of deputy governor.
It urged Governor Mutfwang to consider loyalty to the Constitution, unquestionable integrity, competence, administrative capacity and commitment to justice and peaceful coexistence in choosing his running mate.
“A Deputy Governor chosen to placate agitation, rather than to serve merit and unity, will not deliver the peace its architects claim to seek. It will only teach every future agitator that Plateau’s government can be pressured into concessions if the noise is loud enough.”
The group also appealed to the governor to consult widely with traditional rulers, religious leaders, elder statesmen, youth and women groups, professional bodies and security stakeholders before making any decision on the 2027 ticket.
However, it cautioned that consultation should not amount to capitulation, stressing the need for the governor to distinguish between genuine concerns and what it described as politically engineered agitation.
On security, the group warned that the deputy governor plays an important role in the state’s security architecture and crisis-management structure.
“Plateau cannot afford a Deputy Governor whose very emergence becomes a fresh source of division rather than a symbol of unity,” it stated.
One Plateau, One Voice further urged the governor to protect what it described as the hard-won peace achieved in the state and avoid decisions that could place political expediency above the collective interest of Plateau residents.
The group said the 2027 deputy governorship debate should be viewed as a test of leadership, urging Mutfwang to demonstrate the courage to withstand pressure and put the interest of the state first.
“History does not remember leaders for the pressure they yielded to, but for the pressure they withstood in defence of the people who trusted them. The 2027 Deputy Governorship debate is not merely a political contest; it is a test of whether Plateau’s heritage can be protected from those who would trade it for their advantage.”
It called on the governor to ensure that the process produces a candidate capable of promoting unity, protecting the interests of all law-abiding residents and strengthening peaceful coexistence across Plateau State.
