By Taye Obateru, Jos
With the defection of six other governorship aspirants of the PDP in Plateau State to the Labour Party, Governor Jonah Jang is likely to have a smooth sail at the party’s governorship primaries.

The prediction by many political watchers is that he might end up being the sole candidate for the primaries which would make the exercise a mere formality. Even in the unlikely event that any other aspirants chooses to square up to him, such an aspirant is unlikely to create any upset considering the  fact that the party is now firmly under the control of the governor.

It will therefore be safe to predict that the governor can begin to look beyond the primaries into the election proper in his quest for a second tenure.  But it is almost certain that the election would not be as an easy ride as the primaries considering the caliber of politicians who have now decided to ‘abandon’ the PDP for him. This will, however, depend on the success or otherwise of current efforts by those who defected to Labour Party to pick just one of the governorship aspirants to face the governor at the election.

If the likes of Chief Solomon Lar; Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun; Chief Joshua Dariye; former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu; former Deputy Governor Chief Michael Bot-Mang, 12 PDP members of the state House of Assembly who refused to participate in the just-concluded primaries and many other political heavyweights throw their weights behind a candidate against Jang, it is likely to be “a clash of the titans” the outcome of which may not be easy to predict.

Sources in Jang Campaign Organization said they are aware of all the moves by the opposition and are planning their own strategies to counter them. He admitted that it might be a tough fight, but was optimistic that Jang would win at the end of the day because according to him, “his achievements during his first tenure make him popular among the electorate who are the real deciders.”

On the other hand, the opposition which includes his deputy, Dame Pauline Tallen who is said to be consulting on what to do next, have vowed to stop Jang from getting a second term listing his many alleged “sins” which they believe justify their opposition to him.

The months ahead would show which side carries the day.