By Taye Obateru
Jos—Former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, was among the candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to contest the April elections, contrary to earlier speculations that his candidature might not scale through.

Some had speculated that his pending court case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, might work against him.
The list of candidates for the various political parties displayed by the commission showed that Dariye is the candidate of Labour Party, LP, for the Plateau Central Senatorial seat.

The list showed that eight political parties are fielding governorship candidates in the election in the state while the PDP, LP and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, fielded candidates for most of the seats.

Governor Jonah Jang who is seeking re-election for a second term on the platform of the PDP will face his deputy, Dame Pauline Tallen and six others in the governorship election.

The other governorship candidates on the displayed list are ambassador Chris Giwa for ACN; Mr. Geoffrey Yillen, ANPP; Sabiu Ibrahim Musa, ADC; Joseph Ade Agun, PPA; Gyang Dalyop of the Mega Progressive Peoples Party, and Isa Nyam for the CPC.

A surprise name on the list is former chief of staff to Dariye, Mr, Alexander Molwus who appeared as the candidate of the ACN for the Central Senatorial Zone, meaning that he would slug it out at the election with his former boss.

He had in reaction to initial speculations that he had picked the ACN senatorial ticket said he was not a member of the party and had always identified with the Labour Party which he joined along with Dariye and others who moved from the PDP.