75-year-old Useni declares governorship ambition — 34 years after ruling Bendel

Jerimiah Useni, senator representing Plateau south senatorial district, has declared his intention to contest the 2019 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Useni made the declaration on Wednesday at the party’s state secretariat in Jos, the state capital.

TheCable had earlier reported how the lawmaker wrote a letter to Timothy Golu, a member of the house of representatives, seeking his support to lead Plateau.

The senator said the ambition to be governor was spurred by his desire to “restore peace and justice” to the state -34 years after ruling Bendel.

“I want to restore peace and justice to Plateau. I want to restore unity, love, dignity and prosperity to Plateau. I also want to restore the vision of its founding fathers,” Useni said.

“Plateau belongs to us and our task is to make it a great place; that is what I want to do.”

If Useni, now 75, emerges victorious in 2019, he will be the oldest elected governor in Nigeria.

Dimis Mailafia, director general of Useni’s campaign organisation, said the state needed a competent hand to lead it to the promise land, and declared that Useni was the best man to lead Plateau “in these trying times”.

“Useni has a lot of experience; he is an army general, former FCT minister, former military governor and now a senator representing Plateau South,” Mailafia said.