Plateau Governor, Simon Lalong Mocks ‘Defeated’ 76-Year-Old Opponent Over His Age

Plateau State Governor, Mr Simon Lalong has mocked Peoples Democratic Party candidate (PDP), Lt-Gen Jerry Useni (retd), who contested the March governorship poll against him, saying that he (Useni) should have allowed his daughter who was his classmate contest against him.

Lalong, who was responding to the Court of Appeal decision confirming him as the winner of the poll, said it was unfortunate that he had to contest the election against someone who was old enough to be his ‘father.’

The governor stated that Useni’s daughter was his classmate in school, adding that it was his classmate who should be contesting an election against him, not her father.

Speaking with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday November, 29, 2019, Governor Lalong said:

“As far as I am concerned, the main election was more important for me. I did the election, I did a run off, we went to the tribunal the first time, we went again for the second time. Well I don’t know whether he is going for the third time,” he said.

“One thing I am very sure and with the confidence I have in Plateau people I know that this victory they are very happy about it. They have prayed about it and the victory is very sweet.

“I will say it again here, his (Useni) daughter was my classmate, I have told him several times, his first daughter was my classmate. So at this stage I would have been expecting his daughter to contest for governor and not him.

“His daughter was my classmate, we went to school together and so why should we be fighting? Fighting him is like fighting a father, it’s unfortunate but for me, I say my focus is Plateau state. We have done that in the first election, he was defeated, he said no, they will go back for a re-run, I said let’s go back for rerun.

“We went back for rerun I defeated him, he said no he was going for the tribunal. We went to the first tribunal, he said he is a general he doesn’t fight and retire, he will go to the Supreme Court. That I think is to make me lose focus but I have not lost any focus in Plateau State. As he is moving, I am becoming more determined because just before the judgment I think he will say go to Plateau state.”

Retired General Jeremiah Timbut Useni was responsible for the administration of Federal Capital Territory Abuja under the military junta of Sani Abacha. He was also the military governor of the old Bendel State from 1984 to 1985 and has also been a minister of transport.