(By Gyang Bere – JOS)
Vice Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau Central Senatorial Zone, Hon. Benedict Shignuhul, has described the defected Senator representing the Zone at the National Assembly, Joshua Dariye, as the worst political harlot the state has recorded.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not to shield the former Governor from the allegation of corruption leveled against him, else Nigerians will believe that the APC government is shielding corrupt leaders.
Hon. Shignuhul said the zone has taken a pragmatic step to recall Dariye, who dumped PDP, the party he rode to the National Assembly for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to seek soft landing on his trial for alleged corruption during his tenure as Plateau State Governor.
He told Journalists during a press briefing at the PDP headquarters in Jos yesterday, that the process for the recall of Senator Dariye would commence soon if the Senate President turns a deaf ear to the request of the party on declaring his seat vacant.
“The political antecedent of Senator Dariye is harlotry, he keeps prostituting from one party to the other. I assure you that with the cream of personalities stirring the leadership of the party, both at the State down to the Local Government level; we will not condone his political prostitution any longer.
“Dariye’s political trajectory points to only one thing, perpetuating his selfish political interest rather than serving the people. That is why he always crossed over from one party to other in a quest to remain relevant. He started in the PDP in1998, and influenced the then Speaker, (now Governor) Simon Lalong and 13 other members of Plateau State House of Assembly to defect to the Action Congress (AC), the result of which they lost their seats while he remained as Governor in PDP and never show any sign of remorse.
“In 2011, he defected to Labour Party (LP) and won the seat of Senator representing the Zone. The same episode repeated itself in 2015, he was grated waiver at the National Secretariat of PDP, a platform he rode to the Senate and now he has defected to APC with our mandate, we will not tolerate that.”
Hon. Shignuhul added that the party was informed that Dariye was promised a soft landing in his trial for corruption by APC government that pretends to be fighting corruption.
“We are watching to see what the APC government which claimed to be fighting corruption will do on Sen. Dariye case with the EFCC, whether they are the one who are harbouring corrupt leaders.”