By Amos Aar and Victoria Atayi
LESS than 48 hours to the conduct of the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Benue State, news that the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Herman Iorwase Hembe, has stepped down for his counterpart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Titus Uba has been circulating all over the state, although a statement countering that has also emerged.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom, Mr Nathaniel Ikyur, in a statement made available to National Record, announced that the Benue State wing of the Labour Party and the governorship candidate of Action People’s Party (APP) had endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon Titus Uba.
According to Ikyur, the endorsement of the PDP candidate by the Labour Party and the APP happened in separate ceremonies on Thursday at the Government House, Makurdi.
Ikyur quoted the Benue State Chairman of Labour Party, Engr Ibrahim Idoko Otene, as stating that “the decision of the party to support Uba to win the governorship election was sequel to the collaboration the presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi received from the PDP in the state.”
Ikyur stated: “Engr Otene, who was accompanied by members of the State Working Committee of the Labour Party, stated that their action was a directive from the National Secretariat of the party. According to him, the support Governor Samuel Ortom gave to their presidential candidate had to be reciprocated.
“He said the Governor stood for equity, fairness and justice, and even risked his senatorial ambition for the Obi presidential bid.
“The Benue State Labour Chairman, also commended Engr Titus Uba for his humility and synergy with other key players, expressing optimism that the PDP guber candidate would serve the state diligently.”
But in a statement dated Wednesday, March 15, 2023, a day before the alleged endorsement by the Labour Party, Hembe denied any alliance or endorsement by Labour Party. Hembe said the rumoured alliance was false and described the PDP as a failed party that owes pensioners and has generally performed abysmally. He said for these reasons, he will never associate with the PDP.
The statement debunking Labour Party’s endorsement of PDP governorship candidate and alliance, dated March 15, 2023, entitled: “A Press Release By Rt. Hon. Herman Iorwase Hembe, Gubernatorial Candidate of The Labour Party”, reads: “It has come to my knowledge that there are radio and some media announcements sponsored by the PDP in Benue, claiming that I, Rt. Hon Herman Iorwase Hembe, the Benue Labour Party Gubernatorial candidate has stepped down or merged with PDP.
“Let me state categorically that nothing in this world would make me consider joining with the failed PDP, a party in government that owes 64 months of pension arrears, owes 17 months of civil servants’ salary arrears, a party that has borrowed and plunged Benue into over 180 billion in debt, a party that refused to pay bailout funds to workers and pensioners, a party that has destroyed the local government system and continues to deny that tier of government its needed autonomy. An anti-people, anti-farmer, and anti-Benue party and government.
“The people of Benue have appropriately rejected the PDP at the last polls and will do so again this Saturday. What then would be my incentive for identifying with such a lost cause?
“Add to the above the fact that the PDP parades the worst Gubernatorial candidate in Benue state and an exiting governor who has performed abysmally for nearly 8 years.
“Labour Party has nothing to do with Benue PDP or outgoing governor Samuel Ortom, and would never contemplate any such relationship. House of Assembly candidates of our party too have not, and will not step down for any party”.
Asked if Chukuemeka Nweze and others who accompanied him to Government House, Makurdi on March 14, 2023 were members of the Labour Party, Agav Ogbadio, a Legislative Aide to Herman Hembe disowned them in a chat with National Record Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Agav who said Nweze and others were not LP members however alleged that they were responsible for the failure of Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the party in the election conducted on February 25, 2023.
“Those guys were there for cash out. These guys like Dr Nweze were the reason behind Obi losing Benue State. They were not members of Labour Party. These are people who cut across all political parties who formed support groups for Obi. You will agree with me that not all people supported Obi were from Labour”, Agav said.
Maintaining that his Principal, Rt Hon. Hembe, was still in the race, Agav said “we are pushing it and hopefully God will take side with us”.
Ikyur statement disclosed that the governorship candidate of APP, Engr Terlumun Kenneth Kwadzah, endorsed Uba for Saturday’s polls. The Chief Press Secretary said Engr Kwadzah was accompanied by some officials of APP and members of his campaign team to Government House where he was said to have endorsed Uba.
Ikyur quoted the APP candidate to have said his decision “to endorse Uba was on account of the fact that Governor Ortom has stood firmly in defense of the people and it is only right that those who understand the weight of the security challenge in the state should support Uba to continue from where Governor Ortom will stop.”
