- To pick consensus aspirant to slug it out with Abounu April 7
By Amos Aar
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has zoned its ticket in the Tiv-speaking area to Vandeikya local government area which is from the Jechira Tiv bloc.
The PDP took the decision on Wednesday night at a Special Stakeholders meeting held at Government House, Makurdi.
The party’s Special Stakeholders’ meeting had earlier last Sunday arrived at a consensus aspirant for the Idoma-speaking area or Zone C (Benue South) and picked the Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu.
A statement by the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, indicates that deliberations at the meeting involved the party’s top leadership including Governor Samuel Ortom, PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, Senator Gabriel Suswam and BOT member, Chief Mrs. Margaret Icheen, as well as members of the House of Representatives.
“A Special ad hoc Committee headed by the party’s State Deputy Chairman, Hon. Isaac Mffo, received the mandate at the meeting to firstly deliberate and arrive at a zoning of the governorship ticket between the Kwande and Jechira intermediate areas, following which Jechira was favoured on grounds of equity, inclusiveness and fairness.
“The Isaac Mffo-led ad hoc Committee was further mandated to deliberate on a zoning of the ticket between Vandeikya and Konshisha local government areas which comprise the Jechira bloc following which Vandeikya got the nod for the same reasons of equity, inclusiveness and fairness earlier adduced in favour of Jechira against Kwande.
“Thursday, 7th April, 2022 was then slated as date for the adoption of a consensus candidate for the party’s Governorship ticket in the Tiv speaking area.
“Governor Ortom expressed satisfaction with the process, stating that PDP in the state has opted for a pruning down of the number of aspirants in the race to avoid unnecessary expenditure on the aspirants while creating synergy within the party as it heads to the general elections next year.
“The governor commended the unity of purpose and peaceful interaction which has been the hallmark of relations among the governorship aspirants on the platform of the party so far, even as he charged them to maintain their bond of unity in pursuit of the larger objective of retaining the Governorship seat in the state and winning federal power for it in 2023.
“PDP National Chairman, Dr Ayu lauded the depth of quality among the pool of aspirants on the party’s platform, assuring them that he will use his good offices to grant them access to opportunities for participation in party assignments at the national level and as well guarantee for them inclusion in government at the federal level should the party win the 2023 elections in the state and at the national levels.
“On his part, Senator Suswam enjoined the aspirants to embrace the fact that only one among them will eventually emerge victorious, a victory he emphasised must be taken to be for all of them as one indivisible family, cautioning that none of them should consider leaving the party as PDP remains the most viable political platform in Nigeria presently.
“Chairman of the Forum of Benue PDP 2023 Governorship Aspirants, Barrister Chille Igbawua, on behalf of the aspirants pledged to accept and abide by the decisions taken by the leadership of the PDP as loyal party men who have placed the collective interest of the party above their individual ambitions.
“Attendance to the meeting was drawn from membership of the Benue PDP State Working Committee and the party’s local government area chairmen, local government council chairmen on its platform, members of its Caucus in the State Assembly, top government functionaries as well as the G-14 group of elders,” the statement reads in part.
Deputy Governor Abounu will slug it out with the single candidate that will emerge from the Tiv-speaking area on the 7th day of April, 2023 at the PDP primaries.
