Gyang Bere, Jos

Mark Longyen, the former Special Assistant to Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has withdrawn from the Plateau South senatorial bye-election primaries slated for September 5.

Longyen was among ten aspirants across various political parties jostling for the senate seat to replace the late Senator Ignatius Longjan who died early this year.

Longyen, in a press statement on Monday, said he decided to withdraw from the contest after a series of consultations at the highest level with key stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said that he had also held discussions with his many political associates, friends and supporters, prior to his ‘stepping aside’.

Longyen urged his supporters to remain calm and be loyal to the party, while awaiting further directives, stressing that the APC’s overall interest supersedes that of any individual member.

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He urged members of the party to always sacrifice their individual interests for the party’s collective interest in order to build a strong and indivisible party.

Daily Sun gathered last Saturday that a former Chief of Staff to Governor Lalong, Chief John Dafaan, had similarly withdrawn from the bye-election.

Longyen’s withdrawal now leaves no fewer than four aspirants to contest the ruling APC’s primary election.

They are a French Language professor at the University of Jos, Prof (Mrs) Nora Daduut, and Prof Emmanuel Garba, a retired professor of Mathematics of the University of Jos.

Others are Prof Doknan Sheni, the former Vice-Chancellor of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, and Nanven Nimfel, the former Special Adviser to Governor Lalong on Political Affairs.