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The Labour Party in
Plateau State has dismissed as “cheap blackmail” allegations that the
campaign of its governorship candidates is being funded by Islamist
groups in Saudi Arabia and Libya.

Speaking at a
world press conference called by the party in Jos, yesterday, Pam Dung
Gyang, who is the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate,
Pauline Tallen, said those spreading false stories that the party in
Plateau State is being funded by some groups in the Arab world, are
merely trying to tap into the existing frosty relations between
Christians and Moslems in the state to shore up sentiments against the
party.

He said the state
government, headed by Jonah Jang, has been encouraging division among
the people of the state for the last four years.

“This being an era
of e-business, e-banking and e-commerce, if indeed the opposition is
sure of our dealings with any group anywhere, they should produce
proofs of transactions by way of computer print outs or any other
vouchers,” Mr Gyang said.

The candidate said
the Labour Party and its 2011 campaigns in Plateau State are funded by
contributions from its members and supporters, whom he said are
stopping at nothing within the law to ensure that political change is
effected in the political leadership of the state come May 29, 2011.

He said his party
is working hard “towards a state where all shall cohabit without the
fear and uncertainty that has engulfed the state under the Jang
administration.”

Mr Gyang also said the botched elections of last Saturday has thrown up a lot of lessons.

“The rigging
machinery of the so-called ruling party in the state has been exposed.
It is unacceptable that in areas where the Labour Party is strong, such
areas, as we pointed out before last Saturday, were starved of election
materials,” he said. “For instance, had the elections been allowed to
proceed, a lot of the electorate would have been disenfranchised. In
some polling units where about 2000 voters were registered, only the
names of fewer than 1000 were available for accreditation. The number
of ballot papers for the House of Representatives election which went
to the polling units equally fell far short of the required number. The
same was the case with other materials like result sheets,” the
statement added.Party to beat

Jimmy Chetto,
chairman of the party’s gubernatorial campaign organisation, also said
the party has uncovered plans by the ruling People’s Democractic Party
to circumvent the process of the re-scheduled elections.

“In areas where
they consider their party to be weak, they are working earnestly
towards ensuring that the process does not enjoy a smooth sailing,” Mr
Chetto claimed.

He said the ruling
party olan to do this by “intimidating civil servants and harassing
traditional rulers from such areas to do its bidding.”

Mr Chetto said whatever the quality of security provided, the Labour
Party is determined to participate and go fully into the elections
“because it remains the party to beat in Plateau State in the 2011
elections.”