Dariye buying form from prison not ‘exceptional’; he’s not the first — APC Official

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau state has said that former Gov. Joshua Dariye’s purchase of senatorial nomination form from the prison is not ‘exceptional’ and that he is not the first to do so.

A former governor of Plateau State and current senator representing Plateau Central, Mr Dariye, is set to submit his purchased senatorial nomination form, the party said.

Mr Dariye was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment earlier this year by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal High Court Abuja after being found guilty of diverting N1.162 billion state ecological founds when he was governor between 1999 and 2007.

Bashir Sati, the state secretary of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that the convict has already bought his senatorial nomination form and is submitting it on Thursday this week being the deadline for submission of nomination forms under the APC.

He said Mr Dariye’s case is (not) new, citing that a former deputy governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore, who won senatorial election in 2003 while in jail for alleged murder.

“The true position here is that, senator Dariye has bought the form and I have every course to believe that he has bought the form. Dariye is not the only person that was behind the bar and purchased electoral form to seek elective position,” he said.

“I could remember vividly well that Omisore, was in prison, contested and won senatorial election. I don’t see Dariye’s case as an exceptional one. He has purchased the form and will submit it on Thursday,” Mr Sati said.