Recall that there was a leaked information reported emanated from a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday 6th December 2023 which alleged that the party had concluded plans to adopt Hon Bitrus Kasuwa David Barji as replacement should Labour and Employment Minister Simon Lalong resign an take up his Plateau South Senatorial position.
Also recall that investigations had revealed that an official of the party in Plateau State when contacted (names withheld) had confirmed that indeed the party had met but didn’t confirm if the party had adopted Hon David Bitrus Kasuwa Barji, though he said that there are high level permutations and consultations to determine who will replace Simon Lalong as Minister from Plateau State should he decide to step aside. Hon Bitrus David Kasuwa Barji could not be reached to get his reaction over the development.
The matter took a different dimension when the State Publicity Secretary of the APC Sylvanus Namang in a statement denied the said adoption of Hon David Bitrus Kasuwa Barji and referred to him as one who was not know to the party.
State Chairman of the APC Hon Rufus Bature in December 2023 set up a committee to look into the matter with a view to resolving the media fireworks that followed. In a statement issued on Tuesday December 26th 2023 by the State Publicity Secretary of the APC Sylvanus Namang, it was revealed that Hon David Kasuwa Barji was invited by the committee led by APC Deputy Chairman Hon James Dongchin with Alhaji Musa Abdullahi Nyalun APC Southern Zone Chairman and Hon Agwom Azi APC Chairman Northern Zone as Members.
The statement noted that “After exhaustive deliberations, all the gray areas were trashed and amicably resolved under the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism”. Namang blamed the impasse to lack of Information flow stressing that “a breakdown in communication was largely responsible for the altercations which the former House of Representative aspirant stressed that he did not directly or by proxy assign anyone to issue a statement on his behalf on his purported adoption by the party…”.
The statement also adds that the state Chairman of the party has received the report of he committee and has expressed satisfaction with the outcome of their work. Hon Rufus Bature the statement commended the members of the committee and Hon David Barji for amicably resolving the issue at stake.
Full Statement Presented Below;
26th December, 2023.
ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS,
PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER,
KALWA HOUSE, YAKUBU GOWON WAY, JOS.
RE: PLATEAU APC ADOPTS HON. DAVID BARJI KASUWA TO REPLACE LABOUR MINISTER/ DISCLAIMER.
Following the report of the purported adoption of Hon. David Barji Kasuwa, a former Federal House of Representatives aspirant for Pankshin/ Kanke/Kanam by the Plateau APC as a replacement for the former Minister of Labour and Employment, HE Simon Bako Lalong, and a refutal by the party and several counteractions, the State Chairman Hon. Rufus Bature decided to set up a three – committee to find an amicable resolution of the issue.
The Committee was headed by the APC Deputy Chairman, Hon. James Dongchin with the the Zonal Chairman Southern Senatorial District, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi Nyalun and Zonal Chairman Northern Senatorial District, Hon. Agwom Azi as members.
Hon. David Barji who was invited by the committee came along with the Local Government APC Chairmen of Kanke and Dawaki ward and the Ag. Party Chairman of Pankshin Local Government.
After exhaustive deliberations, all the gray areas were thrashed and amicably resolved under the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism.
It was discovered that a breakdown in communication was largely responsible for the altercations which the former House of Representatives aspirant stressed that he did not directly or by proxy assigned anyone to issue a statement on his behalf on his purported adoption by the party which he described as the handiwork of mischief makers who wanted to set him against the party at the state level.
He assured the party Exco that as a loyal party man who believes in the supremacy of the party, he would uphold and respect the party at all times.
He assured the party that he would continue to to contribute his quota to the development of the party at the local, state and national levels and to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Party Chairman on receiving the report, expressed satisfaction and commended members of the committee and Hon. David Barji for amicably resolving the issue at stake.
Signed:
Hon. Sylvanus Namang,
APC State Publicity Secretary
