Taraba Gov Polls: I Withdrew ‘Under Duress’ – LP Candidate Munlip

By Nosakhale Akhimien

The party is currently embroiled in an internal crisis on who is the authentic candidate of the party between Munlip and Senator Joel Ikenya.

Embattled Labour Party Governorship candidate in Taraba State, Philip Munlip, has asserted that he was under pressure by the party’s chairperson, Mrs Easter Gulmu to withdraw from March 18 election.

The party is currently embroiled in an internal crisis on who is the authentic candidate of the party between Munlip and Senator Joel Ikenya.

Munlip during an interview on Channels Television’s, Sunrise Daily, insisted the chairperson of the party, Mrs Gulmu has an agenda to push forth her preferred candidate, Ikenya for the election,

“I wrote the withdrawal letter under duress, but the court ruled the withdrawal out in my favour, the chairperson placed me under pressure and I didn’t know she had gone to the national office for her to buttress her claims that I had withdrawn,” he said on Monday.

The party had in a press briefing on Saturday, distanced itself from Munlip, for his endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Kefas Agbu.

Mrs Gulmu described Munlip’s action as “mischief and blackmail” for personal gain.

Speaking further on his alleged compulsion, Munlip said the party leaders had started making plans for his replacement which took effect almost immediately adding that, she made some statement that was not properly justified.

 “She informed them telling them that I have withdrawn from the rest and I have written the letter and a fresh primary should be conducted which was not true.”

 “After the fresh primary was redone, The Labour Party decided not to properly inform me about the arrangement. It was a direct plan to hitch me out, I was not officially informed of the primary, I went to the national to ask for the letter of the primaries and I was not given. “

According to the evangelist, the reason he endorsed the PDP candidate was that the court case he filed against the conducted primary had not been established.

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“The court is yet to declare its judgment and that is why I am endorsing the PDP candidate, I took the decision unanimously as the leader of the support group since the decision of the court had not been made.”

He Has The ‘Track Record’

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Labour Party, Taraba, James Benjamin, has said that a resolution over the new governorship candidate had been met and the winner of the re-conducted poll, Senator Joel is ready and has plans to win the 25 per cent requirement in two-thirds of the state.

“He has plans and strategy to win 25 per cent, he is someone that is focused, he is somebody who knows what he wants to do when he wants to do it. He has his plans for Taraba”

“He has been in the grassroots politics, he has been in the house of reps, senatorial and was a minister in Goodluck Jonathan administration.”

“Senator Joel Is ready for this election, he has the track record, he has the character, and he has the capacity to lead the people”

Mr Benjamin said that the new primary conducted was for the purpose of reducing the tension from the court, to which the two candidates were invited.

He also added that he wrote a letter to the spokesperson of Munlip adding that the chairperson had passed across the information of the primary but Munlip claimed that the letter came late in the night and he was not properly informed that the primaries were supposed to take place.

According to him, Munlip was within his right to withdraw from participation in the primary poll.

“It is within his right to do that (to withdraw), and to take that decision but it is not scattering the party in any way, the party is still focused, and we are closing rounds together with the PCC, with all our candidates and with all our stakeholders, with all local government chairmen.”

He said that the party is on the same page to ensure the successful picture of the party towards 18 March, adding that Ikenya has his strategies ready and he is at the heart of the people.