‘Misconduct’: Labour Party expels Plateau guber candidate, conducts fresh primary

Julius Abure, national chairman of Labour Party (LP), says Yohanna Margif,  Plateau governorship candidate, has been expelled from the party.

According to him, the expulsion came after several petitions that were examined and sent to the party’s national headquarters immediately after Margif won the party’s initial primary.

“This party, as a responsible political platform, has called him severally but he declined to show up. The national working committee of the party has, therefore, expelled him,” Abure said.

Abure also said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been notified of the development.

“The substitutionary primaries had since been conducted and Patrick Dakum was chosen as the governorship candidate of the party in Plateau,” he added.

A fresh primary had produced Patrick Dakum as the flagbearer of the party in the state.

However, briefing journalists on Monday in Jos, the Plateau capital, Margif faulted the party’s decision to conduct fresh primary, adding that he had not withdrawn from the race.

“To put the records straight, some individuals had approached me requesting that I relinquish the hard-earned ticket to them,” he said.

“But I felt it will be unwise to toy with the party’s mandate and the people’s trust, hence my refusal to grant their wishes.

“Surprisingly, my attention was drawn to a primary election by some political elements. The elements disguised themselves as members of Labour Party in Plateau and produced Dakum as my replacement.”

Meanwhile, the development comes days after the Plateau police command said Margif was under investigation over the allegation of “issuing a dud bank cheque to his business associate”.