Politics is a dirty game, people often say in Nigeria, but not many of the people who use this axiom truly knows what it means.
One person that will tell you better how dirty things can go is the embattled Labour Party Governorship candidate in Taraba State, Philip Munlip.
The LP candidate recounts how he wrote his withdrawal letter under duress.
In a party that is seen as one that comes with hope, one will wonder who would put a candidate under duress.
But Munlip says he was put under pressure by the party’s chairperson in the state, Easter Gulmu to withdraw from the March 18 election.
Munlip revealed this on Channels Television’s, Sunrise Daily on Monday.
Preferred Candidate
According to him, Gulmu kept pressuring him to step down.
The reason was because she had her preferred candidate, which was Joel Ikenya.
Munlip explains: “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me under pressure and I didn’t know she had gone to the national office for her to buttress her claims that I had withdrawn”.
The embattled governorship candidate advanced that plans were underway for his replacement by the party leadership.
He also says he was replaced almost immediately after he withdrew.
He stated that “she (Gulmu) informed them telling them that I have withdrawn from the race and I have written the letter and a fresh primary should be conducted which was not true.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.
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“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”.
Revolt
Furthermore, Munlip reveals why he endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, in the state, Kefas Agbu.
According to him, “the court is yet to declare its judgement 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”.
Mischief And Failure
Meanwhile, the party’s leadership on Saturday distanced itself from his endorsement of Agbu while describing Munlip’s action as “mischief and blackmail” for personal gain.
However, the Secretary of the Labour Party in Taraba, James Benjamin, said a resolution over the new governorship candidate had been met and the winner of the re-conducted poll, Joel, is ready and has plans to win the 25% requirement in two-third of the state.
He stated that “he has plans and strategy to win 25%.
“Also, he is someone that is focused and 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 and has been in the house of reps, senatorial and was a minister in Goodluck Jonathan’s 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.
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“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”.
