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| Simon Lalong |
Plateau State Governor-elect, Simon Lalong says his victory during the Saturday re-run poll for another term of four years was a referendum by the people to move the state to the next level
Lalong stated this on Sunday in his acceptance speech after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared him the winner of the Saturday supplementary election
In the results announced in the early hours of Sunday morning by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof Richard Kimbir, Lalong who contested the election on the platform of the APC scored 595,582 votes to defeat 23 other candidates, including the Peoples Democratic Party standard-bearer, Jeremiah Useni, who garnered 546,813.
Lalong said the outcome of the exercise in the state “was clearly an amazing show of confidence and trust” which the people had for his administration
Describing his reelection as a clarion call for him to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people along the 5-point Policy Thrusts of his first term administration, Lalong added that he had accepted the mandate to serve wholeheartedly for a second and final term with all the humility it deserves while assuring the people that he would not fail them
Lalong said, “Fellow Citizens, four years down the lane, without prejudice to the just concluded re-run elections of 23rd March 2019, and the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), you once again came out en-masse and voted us to serve a second and final term as Executive Governor of the State, together with my Deputy, Professor Sonni G. Tyoden.
“We had a dream, which we collectively and tirelessly worked towards achieving it and succeeded. To me, this victory is a mark of honour and clarion call for consolidation of our gains and the sustainable peaceful coexistence for the good of the State. Together, we will do more. I urge all citizens to celebrate in harmony with even the opposition without harassment, intimidation and provocative statements against any person or group.
“With gratitude to God Almighty, on behalf of myself and the Deputy Governor, I sincerely thank you all. We whole-heartedly accept this mandate to serve for a second and final term with all the humility it deserves. Above all, we accept this mandate by equally soliciting your usual cooperation and partnership as we strive to sustain the execution of our mandate.
“The outcome of the exercise in the State was clearly an amazing show of confidence and trust. It was also a referendum on our most cherished principles of Unity and Peace as well as an affirmation of the desire to move to the Next Level. Moving to the next level in the light of equality and inclusiveness, which are core values fundamentally located in the heart of the Plateau spirit that speak to our sense of communality, diverse ethnicity, mutual respect, tolerance, peace, hospitality, humility, and diligence”
The Governor-elect thanked all stakeholders for their support and enjoined all those who contested with him during the election to join hands with his administration in order to move the state forward
