Pauline Tallen, current Deputy Gov of Plateau contesting against her boss, Gov. Jonas Jang

The cold war between the erstwhile Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Mrs. Pauline Tallen and her one time political ally, Governor Jonah Jang was warmed up last weekend when during a visit to Shendam, Mrs. Tallen”s home base, the Governor demanded an apology from his erstwhile deputy. Mrs. Tallen who fought the Governor on the platform of the Labour Party during the last governorship election was asked if she would heed the Governor”s counsel during a telephone interview.

Governor Jonah Jang has asked you to apologise to him. What is your reaction?

It makes laugh, the story makes me laugh. In the first place it takes two to quarrel. He is quarreling with himself, I am not quarreling with him. Secondly, I have forgiven him and for him to say that I should ask for his forgiveness, he is trying to play God because, number one, God knows the truth in our case. I am not fighting him God knows who is sincere and who is saying what because God sees every heart.

We can deceive ourselves but we cannot deceive God. I just want to go on as if I don”t even know anybody like that……I don”t want to even discuss him because he is not an issue for me to discuss about. I have handed over this issue to God and God will meet us at our point of need. God will vindicate who is sincere and who is saying the truth because He knows and sees our hearts.

I am not angry with him but if he says I should apologise before he forgives me, to me it is a belated statement because I am not fighting with him and I have forgiven him and God will vindicate the just. My only advise to him is that he should stop playing God. He should stop playing God because it just makes me laugh. I am not angry with him because I have handed over the matter to God and God will vindicate who is saying the truth.

Are you back to the PDP?

We are in the tribunal, so how can I be in the tribunal and be in the PDP.
I had vowed not to talk to the press but since you said you want my comment on this matter it is clear that I have since forgiven him and there is no day that I don”t pray for him. But if he is demanding my apology before he forgives me, to me it is belated because I have forgiven him long ago.

Could there not be any way you may have wronged him?

Not at all, not at all and because I have prayed and handed it over to God I don”t feel hurt but I am confident that God will vindicate me for all he has done. I have forgiven him and I don”t wish him anything bad.

But he has not said what you did to him?
That is what you should ask him. if he says that I should apologise let him say what I did to him. Nigerians will like to know where I have wronged him that he is demanding for my apology, he should tell you where I have wronged him. that is number one. Number two, I don”t even feel hurt with him. for all that he has done to me, I have handed him over the matter to God. God sees every heart and will vindicate the just. Time will tell. He is saying that I have disgraced myself, lets wait and see who God will disgrace because I have handed the matter to God.

We are yet to see what is it that I did, let him tell Nigerians where I have wronged him.

He has denied me my rights and privileges. Are you aware that he stayed in my official residence and that since I was sworn in (as deputy Governor in 2007) I never stayed in Government House. Is there any deputy Governor that was so badly treated? Go to Jos and find out.

My rights, my entitlements, my constitutional rights……

What of your salaries were they paid as at the time you left office?

I told you I am avoiding talking to the press. I am answering you based on this recent one he has said. Even my residence he occupied. I never since 2007 spent one day in Government House, neither has he paid me my rent or furniture allowance, however, the matter is before God.

He is talking that I should apologise. I promised that I will not talk much but reach out and talk to the former Speaker, the immediate past Speaker who stood by him. Istafanus Mwansat is his name. This is a man who uses people and dumps them. Just the way he lured me to bring him into Government House in 2007 that is exactly what he has done, he has used the Speaker to return to Government……but then I want you to know very well that he did not win this election and it is a matter of time God will vindicate everybody.

For you to know how ungrateful he is, just the way he used me to come to power in 2007, he has used the Speaker who stood by him in his most trying moments and immediately he rigged the election and got himself back there, all the members of PDP that stood by him he made sure that none of them got principal office position. If he is a God fearing man and sincere, the Speaker stood by him till the last and instead of him to retain him as Speaker he flunged him, he made sure that he didn”t get any principal office. Find out from Istifanus, he will tell you better who he is. I have forgiven him, I have handed the matter to God, watch and see what God would do.

Reach out to the immediate past Speaker and all the members of PDP who stood by him, he made sure that he threw them off and rubbished all of them. The present Speaker is not even up to six months in PDP. He is bringing a nobody to come and rubbish another
I thought he was a God fearing person and my only offence was that let us unite the people of Plateau State. He doesn”t believe in reconciliation he doesn”t believe in anything. I am not bitter with him.