Diket Plang
Susan Abayomi
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity and Senator representing Plateau Central, Diket Plang, has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure a second term in office, citing what he described as the President’s purposeful, bold and inclusive approach to governance.
Plang spoke while visiting victims of the recent attack on Bin-Mper community in Kumbun District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where more than 24 people were reportedly killed.
The senator said the difficult but necessary decisions taken by the Tinubu administration had placed the country on what he described as the right trajectory.
He described the President as a determined, courageous and purposeful leader capable of implementing difficult policies in the national interest.
Plang cited the removal of fuel subsidy, the proposed establishment of state police and the creation of regional development centres as examples of what he considered bold and transformative policy decisions.
“I think President Bola Tinubu will win his re-election for the reasons that his policies and his vision are very inclusive,” he said.
“He seems very determined, brave, articulate and purposeful to ensure that some very tough, critical but also needed policies are implemented. It takes a brave heart to remove subsidies.
“It also takes another brave heart to say, let’s have state police. It takes another great heart for a country to create regional development centres. For me, such a person should be given a second chance to consolidate on his dreams and visions.”
Plang Calls for Party Unity
Plang, who was unsuccessful in securing a ticket to return to the Senate, acknowledged the discontent that followed the party’s primary election as well as concerns surrounding the recently released list of members of the Presidential Campaign Council.
He, however, expressed optimism that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be able to resolve its internal differences and perform strongly in the 2027 election.
“I hope and believe that the party will be able to handle some of the little discontent from the party’s primary election,” he said.
On the composition of the Presidential Campaign Council, Plang said Tinubu had the prerogative to determine the structure of his re-election campaign.
“Regarding the presidential campaign council, I think the President has the right to drive his own re-election campaign, after all, it’s his own election,” he added.
Plang Rejects Atiku’s Proposal
The senator also criticised proposals by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, to reintroduce petrol subsidy and reopen Nigeria’s land borders.
Plang dismissed the proposals as political rhetoric and argued that reopening the borders could worsen the country’s security challenges.
He maintained that porous borders had contributed significantly to insecurity in the country and cautioned against policies that could further expose the nation to security threats.
Senator Visits Attack Victims
Speaking earlier to victims of the Bin-Mper attack, Plang expressed concern over the scale of the killings but said he was encouraged by the determination of residents and community leaders to remain on their ancestral land.
“It is sad that in a small community like this, 24 people in one day will be killed. That’s just 10 percent of the total population of the land being wiped out within a very short time, within a night,” he said.
The senator commended the village and district leadership, as well as the tribal development association, for their resolve to remain in the community despite the attack.
“I’m, however, comforted by the strong decision of the leadership of the land, particularly the village head, the district head and the entire tribal development association to remain resolute in their lands. I’m highly encouraged by their doggedness, their strong will to withstand this very, very sad episode,” he said.
Community Seeks Support for Vigilantes
Earlier, the District Head of Kumbun, Gambo Tetmut, told the senator that the village’s location made it particularly vulnerable to attacks.
According to him, the community is the last settlement in the vast area overlooking the hills, leaving it exposed to attacks from surrounding areas.
Tetmut appealed to the government to strengthen local vigilante groups and equip them to serve as the community’s first line of defence.
“If you look at this environment from the western part of this village, there are no houses there. So, these communities are vulnerable. We are asking for help, sustained help for this community, because most of the attacks are coming from these vulnerable communities,” he said.
He appealed for government support, particularly for youths who volunteer to protect the community despite limited resources.
“We want the government to assist us, especially to provide the first line of defence. There are youths that are sacrificing their lives. Some of them don’t have anything to even defend themselves. If they had, we wouldn’t have had this number of casualties here,” Tetmut added.
