Rumblings On The Plateau About Recalling Lalong, Dafaan, And Venman

By Mark Longyen

Plateau State has been plunged into political chaos following a secretive move by Plateau South senatorial zone constituents to recall former Gov Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau South) from the Senate.

The aggrieved constituents have also planned to recall Lalong’s former Chief of Staff, John Dafaan (APC-Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang), and Vincent Venman (APC-Langtang North/South), federal constituencies.

According to reliable sources, more than 500,000 constituents have already signed a petition to recall the trio from the National Assembly in the last week.

It was learned that the recall forms for the three lawmakers were distributed about a fortnight ago across the six local governments that comprise the senatorial zone, and that the constituents have now signed them.

People familiar with the current political intrigues said that the petitioners’ lawyers will collect the signed forms from all polling units this week and forward them to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alongside their petitions.

INEC is expected to send a team of officials to the senatorial zone and the two federal constituencies to verify the signatures.

Once the signatures are verified and confirmed in the various polling units that 50%, plus one, of the total registered voters signed the recall forms, INEC will arrange for a referendum to recall the lawmakers within the time frame specified by law.

The referendum simply asks constituents to vote “yes” or “no” on whether to recall lawmakers, with the outcome determined by a simple majority to declare a lawmaker automatically recalled or to retain his seat.

The Court of Appeal’s dismissal of Sen. Napoleon Bali (PDP-Plateau South, June 2023 to October 2023) cleared the way for Lalong, whom he defeated in the 2023 senatorial election by an unprecedented landslide, to occupy the seat after resigning as minister of labour and productivity.

A source, who preferred not to be named, said Bali is pushing for the recall, though Bali himself could not confirm the latest development.

However, it should be noted that shortly after his dismissal late last year, Bali told reporters that, while he had not returned to the senatorial zone since the judgement, he had good authority that his dissatisfied constituents were already gathering signatures to begin the recall process.

He also stated that his legal team was considering various options, including returning to court to see if there was any opportunity to review or correct the injustice done to him and other lawmakers.

According to him, as a victim of brazen judicial gymnastics, he had the constitutional option of initiating a recall process against those appointed to office by the Appeal Court decision, or living with it for the next three years.

The latest move appears to align with Bali’s earlier vow to unseat Lalong and co, as impeccable sources say constituents have advanced plans to recall the embattled lawmakers.

“The people of Plateau South senatorial district are stating that they will not allow them.

“I am not sure what they want to do, but I have been told that people are already gathering signatures to recall them.

“This time, we will test INEC and the judiciary that installed them because that is the only option we are confident in.

“As I previously stated, our lawyers are working tirelessly to determine whether there is a window. I am not a lawyer, and I am not sure how they will do it.

“But one thing I am certain of is that all those who the Appeal Court wrongfully collected and gave our mandates to, as concluded by the learned justices of the Supreme Court in Gov Mutfang’s case, we will definitely recall them.

“When? I am not going to tell you because it will come as a rude surprise.

“For specifics, I can tell you that in Plateau South, they have already collected over 300,000 signatures to recall Lalong.

“That is already in the public domain.” He and his party, the APC, are aware.

“By the time we get the required number of signatures, which is 50% of all registered voters, it will be a done deal, and we will do it.

“We have the current INEC register; I will not say anything else because we keep that one close to our chest.

“As soon as we receive the 50%, we will file a petition, and our lawyers will follow up to notify INEC to verify.

“Once that is done, INEC will have no choice but to hold a referendum, and we will take it from there,” Bali, a retired Air Vice Marshal and fighter pilot, assured.

Bali, Rep Isaac Kwallu, and Beni Lar defeated Lalong, Dafaan, and Venman in the 2023 National Assembly elections, winning the Plateau South, Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang, and Langtang North/South House of Representatives seats, respectively.

Despite being the sitting governor of Plateau State from 2015 to 2023 and the Director General of the 2023 Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, Lalong was humiliated at the polls by Bali, who defeated him by an unprecedented margin of approximately 60,000 votes.

Bali defeated the former governor in all six local governments that make up his senatorial zone, including his own Shendam Local Government Area, with the exception of Wase Local Government.

Kwallu defeated Dafaan in all three local governments that make up the Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Mikang federal constituency, as well as 31 of the 32 federal wards in the area, including Dafaan’s Kwalla-Moeda federal ward, by an unprecedented margin.

Also, Rep Beni Lar (PDP-Langtang North/South), a perennial winner and political Amazon, was re-elected in the 2023 elections by her constituents after a landslide victory over APC’s Venman, her closest opponent.

The Court of Appeal overturned all PDP lawmakers’ victories, citing a lack of a legitimate political structure that produced them as candidates. This resulted in shortened tenures.

This was despite the fact that the case was a pre-election matter, which the court had no jurisdiction to hear in the first place.

Several observers described the court’s unusual decision as a predetermined judicial compromise, while the Supreme Court later frowned on it and chastised the Appeal Court, describing it as an act of judicial rascality.

Apparently irritated by the court’s decision to impose on them those they rejected at the polls, as if forced to swallow unwanted bitter pills, the lawmakers’ constituents have now turned to the constitutionally mandated recall option as a last resort.

In response to constituents’ attempts to recall Lalong and others, the Plateau State chapter of the APC described the action as a wasted effort motivated by the PDP’s “desperation and frustration to remove the lawmakers from their legitimate seats.”

The state chapter of the APC confirmed the recall initiative in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its acting Publicity Secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi. The recall effort was described as a “PDP orchestrated recall campaign, a wild goose chase, and mission impossible.”

“For quite some time now, the PDP in the southern part of Plateau State has been on a wild goose chase in the name of recalling these National Assembly members.

“The party has relentlessly and agonisingly cajoled unsuspecting eligible voters to sign worthless sheets of paper in order to recall Senator Simon Lalong and Chief John Dafaan from the Red and Green Chambers, respectively.

“The PDP’s desperation and frustration appear to know no bounds, to the point where the party is so blinded to the constitutional requirements of initiating and embarking on such a herculean exercise,” the APC said.

According to the party, the PDP has thrown caution and decorum to the wind by launching the recall campaign against the lawmakers.

“By using various shenanigans and deceptions to coerce people into signing documents under the guise of receiving palliatives and loans from both the federal and state governments.

“Though the unsuspecting electorate have been suspicious of the promises, and have taken them with a pinch of salt, the hirelings assigned to the misadventure have unabashedly continued to move around all the nooks and cranny of the Southern zone to collect signatures for the futile exercise.”

“It is unfortunate that the PDP could condescend to that level of desperation, when viewed through the lens of civility and propriety, as well as considering the fact that the legislators in question have only spent one year in their respective chambers,” the APC added.

“Undoubtedly, a recall exercise is an electoral and constitutional process that can be initiated against willing or incompetent legislators, as the case may be; however, there must always be overwhelming justification for such an action.

“Undoubtedly, the PDP’s narcissistic attitude will come to an end sooner rather than later, because all indications are that the legislators are currently enjoying the support of their constituents, despite their brief tenure in the National Assembly.

“In addition, the APC and other interest groups are closely monitoring events as they unfold in order to prevent the misadventure.

“Without any fear of the unknown, the campaign will undoubtedly be a mission impossible and a disgrace at the end of it all,” Bamaiyi continued.

When contacted for comment on the development, Rep. Kwallu, one of the lawmakers fired by the Court of Appeal and Dafaan’s predecessor, confirmed that the constituents’ recall move was valid.

He explained that the recall process is outlined in the Nigerian constitution, which allows constituents to recall their elected representatives at any time, and that there is no reason for concern.

Jimmy Lar, a senatorial zone political gladiator, justified the recall initiative in response to the APC’s statement describing it as a desperate move by the PDP.

He posed a rhetorical question: “Who is more desperate between someone who steals something that does not belong to him or her and someone who makes every lawful effort to recover his or her stolen item?

“Owners have the right to go to any length to recover stolen property.

“When you are robbed, you notify others, contact the appropriate authorities, and take all necessary steps to recover your stolen items from the robber(s).”

“Whether or not you can bring the thief to justice is up to time, not the thief,” he said.

Simon Shindai, a lawyer, constituent, and APC member, confirmed that he was fully aware of the recall bid but claimed that some stakeholders, primarily from the state’s ruling PDP, were behind it.

According to him, some PDP leaders are strategizing, working around the clock, and leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the recall agenda is carried out smoothly and successfully within the next six to twelve months, and he warned the APC not to take the issue lightly.

“It is not a joke because it is a serious constitutional matter outlined in the 1999 Constitution, so once these processes are completed, INEC will undoubtedly conduct a referendum, the outcome of which could be a major surprise for the lawmakers in question,” he stated.

Alhassan Barde, an APC supporter, also commented on the issue, saying that the APC, as a political party that knows and has tasted power, and is still in power at the national and local levels, should do more than just make press statements.

“The party should be strategic in dealing with critical matters that are pending and have been left unresolved, matters that have emerged (such as the one at hand), and those on the horizon that have the potential to affect its current structure and the opportunities for greater fortunes.

“Remember that in any contest, your opponent will use a variety of tactics to rattle and weaken your immune system before attacking your defence mechanisms.

“All we are doing is sending a clear message to the APC to wake up and take action,” he said.

Lalong, in response to his constituents’ recall move, acknowledged being aware of it through his Legislative aide, Hon. Exodus Pyennap, but described the initiative as futile, baseless, and dead on arrival.

INEC requires petitioners to have a valid reason for recall, such as failure, misconduct, corruption, non-performance, or official misdemeanour against their representative. However, this requirement is not met in this case.

“So, the entire hullabaloo is a baseless and futile effort, and INEC will not even bother acting on it,” Lalong stated.

Lar and Dafaan could not be reached for comment on the matter at the time of filing this report. Dafaan did not answer or return the numerous phone calls placed to him.