Lenkop,hails Tribunal Judgments,says,Pres.Tinubu is on the right track

By Eagle Eye News24

The Chief Medical Director Hwolshe Medical Center and APC Stalwart,Dr.Danlami Lenkop,has hailed the recent Election Tribunal Judgments in Plateau State which sacked some of the PDP’s lawmakers in the state.

Lenkop,made this sterling remarks in Jos,Plateau State,North-Central,Nigeria where he was a guest on the Eagle Eye News24 flagship programme:Nigeria@Dawn on Saturday.

The trained medical practitioner cum politician also lauded the present All Progressives Congress(APC)administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for being steadfast in it’s policies.

Responding on his political forays in the state,he described politics as a very interesting phenomenon.

“Politics has been very interesting,as a local government chairman I contested for the seat and won.I did my best as LGC Chairman even though we didn’t finish our tenure.We were ousted by the new administration then and that is what we have been advocating that elected people should be allowed to finished their tenures.

Funny a enough a lot of persons have breached that constitutional provision.I think we were one of the first casualty in Plateau State.

So,after that experienced,I contested for the House of Representatives,State Chairman and the last was the gubernatorial seat of the state which I lost out. During the contest for the governorship seat, I lobbied around and got the support of key stakeholders within and outside the state”.

Dr.Lenkop,further described his foray during his quest for obtaining his party’s (APC)tickets as a case liken to that of landlord and tenant debacle.

“Like,I used to say,securing your party’s nomination,you will find those in the party who are landlords,if you find favour with them you scale through.And as you know in any competition there must be always a winner and a loser,so I don’t have any grievances at all.

The most important thing is that I showed interest to serve my people.After al I have once served my LGA, along the line I had also been given some appointments to serve both in the state and federal”.

Speaking on the Election Tribunal judgements in the state that sacked some of the opposition lawmakers.

He said:”ln a democracy you will have to contest first,you either lose or win.Another aspect of it,is the Tribunal,’so when some people begin to clamour that why are others going to court.The question is that,why do they contest in the first place?So I think it is part of democracy because it”s the constitutional rights for an individual to approach the court.Since there is the electoral body(INEC)and the court to address this issues,so nobody should be blamed.I believe it’s the right steps being taken.

Now the Judges from the different tribunals has the rights to pass Judgments the way he or she wants to pass it.And that is why we have the Appeal Court and Supreme Court.Yes,I know that in Plateau,APC has gone to court,arguing that the PDP doesn’t have structures which they relied on existing cases and the courts has given divergent judgments,some in favour of APC but that is the beauty of the judiciary.We have been told by lawyers that judges are not ‘Father Christmas’,it all depends on your prayers and how you argue your case even your evidences.

Dr.Lenkop,posited further that the Tribunal Judges are on the right track.

“I think the election Tribunal Judges are on the right track using all their experiences to give out their Judgments”.

Responding on the earlier dissolution of LGC Chairmen by the Plateau State Government,he outrightly condemned it.

In his words:”It is not right ,we were the first victim like I said,we went to court and won but our tenure was short lived.We won at the High Court and Appeal Court but we couldn’t go back to our offices.We also had the group of the present governor Caleb Mutfwang,who was also a victim when the the out gone governor Simon Lalong dissolved the elected LGC Chairmen.

We thought that he would have corrected the anomaly but he came also to do the same”.

Dr.Lenkop,argued that the present governor may have been ill advised or may be he came to expressed vendetta.

“It”s possible he was misguided,may be it was a vendetta or he felt that the government that dissolved the council chairmanships was right.Otherwise I don”t see the reason why he will do the same.But to be honest I think something is wrong with the local government system in Nigeria.I have always said this that if we don’t have credible LGC elections it will bring problems.

Secondly,if we don”t have a system that allows the LGC Chairmen to finished the same time with the governor it will also create problems.

Imagine that you came in as a governor and you have 17 Chairmen who are in opposition,I think we should look at it from this dimension.Then also the system of the the LGC election is questionable because everytime that a governor is in power he makes sure his party won.A current case study is the recent council election in Edo State,South-South,Nigeria,where the ruling party won all the seats.

I will also suggest that INEC should conduct council elections in Nigeria rather than the SIEC and also allow the tenure of the state governors and Chairmen to run concurrently”.

Reacting to the question on the possibility to contest for the 2027 governorship election in Plateau State,the trained doctor tied it to the Zonal arrangement of the state.

Anytime I want to contest for an election I always look at the idea of the zoning system and I always wait for what comes to our zone.

On the issue whether the zoning system is democratic,he said:

“I have always posited that zoning is not the best because it removes merit but in Nigeria if you don’t do it many zone becomes disadvantage.So positions and power needs to go round in order for every parts of the country or zone to have a sense of belonging.

In USA,we have seen President George Bush senior and junior ruling America but here in Nigeria we have not developed to that point.What we need now are selfless and just leaders.

So on the issue of my contesting in 2027,if my people gives me the go ahead,I will contest but if they say otherwise I can’t go against the wish of my people”.

Assessing President Bola Tinubu’s 100 days in office,the APC Chieftain said that Mr.President is on the right track.

“President Tinubu is on the right track.We have seen some improvements,you see the policies put on ground many people may not be able to see any physical structure but these policies in the next four years will turn out positive dividends for the country”.

On the fuel subsidy removal,Dr.Lenkop gave the president kudos.

In his words:

“Despite the fact that the fuel subsidy removal has also affected my own organisation.The fact is that the sole aim is to make life better for Nigerians.

Buttressing that if all the monies accruing from the subsidy removal is judiciously appropriated,Nigerians will be better for it.