Dariye structure behind attempts to snatch guber ticket - Margif

Ambassador Yohana Yilpwan Margif is the Labor Party's (LP) Plateau State gubernatorial candidate. In this interview with LEO SOBECHI, ​​he traces the genesis of the fight for the party ticket, saying that Dr Patrick Dakwon wants to ride on Senator Joshua Dariye's political structure to move him.

• Genesis of my work with Dr DakumWhat do you think of the circulating stories and machinations regarding your candidacy for the Labor Party in Plateau State? Well, you see, the truth is, when you're on the right track, you're fine. I'm so happy even with the media intervention, it brought to light what really happened and I'm so happy. When you came to the Labor Party it was not popular, now what do you think of the party and your aspiration to rule Plateau State? Yes, you know, the party itself, it is the party members who will make a party popular. I came to the Labor Party, not because of anyone, I came with a lot of resources and the Labor Party was empty. The day I entered the Labor Party and since I had a lot of resources, I have to put my fortune, I started to encourage many people to join me to make the party bigger. By the grace of God, Labor is in the limelight and I'm glad a lot of people came.

I even entered the party before the presidential candidate and that also helped to make the party more popular. And, his coming (of Obi) was even an answered prayer, because I prayed for people like Peter Obi to come in. And with him now as a presidential candidate, I'm so happy.

You played some roles under the administration of Senator Joshua Dariye, where do you stand now politically with him? Of course, I served Joshua Dariye very well. I performed my duties to the best of my knowledge until the end of his term. But, today, Joshua Dariye is not a member of the Labor Party, he is a member of the APC (All Progressives Congress), so I don't know his position today. But I hear rumors going around and I can see his hands supporting Dr. Patrick Dakum. I am surprised because in politics people have different interests, I do not know his interest and I do not know his reason for supporting Patrick Dakum, who has just joined the Labor Party, while he is still in APC.

When was the last time you spoke with Senator Dariye? I last spoke with Senator Dariye, when I visited him when he invited me when I called him as one of our chieftaincy holders and one of our chiefdom elders . That's when I told him I had won the Labor Party's gubernatorial primary, so I went over there to tell him the good news. And it was on that day that he confided to me that he wanted me to join forces with Patrick Dakum. But, that day, I told him that this Patrick Dakum that you speak of is in APC, he played the primary in APC and he came second, how can I now shake hands with someone who is in APC? I told him that I had joined this race to win the election, not to give the ticket to anyone. I think that might be the starting point of my problem with him. What special position do you think Patrick Dakum occupies in the heart of Dariye of Plateau State that the former Governor wants to make him the candidate for Governor? Well, you know politicians. We have different types of politicians. We have politicians who are induced by others. Like me now, I'm trying to get rid of the sponsorship policy; I don't want anyone telling me anything. If you are called by God to serve your people, you don't need anyone to influence you. This could be why Dakum is hiding under the influence of Joshua Dariye and of course Joshua Dariye has already set up political structures so he wants to use that as an advantage.

There has been some backhanded horse-trading over appointing people to governorships, with new momentum in the Labor Party, young people saying never again to the old politics; what are the guarantees that you will not disappoint young people and Nigerians who yearn for a better approach to democracy? If you see my party slogan, I marked it define the hour of good governance. There has never been a dispensation for young people to come out en masse to support a candidate as is the case today. It is a divine arrangement, a divine time.

And, by the grace of God, at my age today, I'm between young and old, so at this age now, if I don't do the things that young people will be happy about, they won't. not be happy with me or the elders will not be happy with me. Then I will betray both young and old, so where will I belong? Why did you decide to run for Governor of Plateau State?