A GROUP in the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday advised the leadership of the party in the state against selecting a gubernatorial running mate without consulting stakeholders in Benue South Senatorial District.
The group, Proactive Front, gave the advice in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Arc. Oche Onyilokwu, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.
Onyilokwu stated that both the party and her gubernatorial candidate, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, should respect the people of Benue South, also known as Zone C, by involving them while making a choice of a gubernatorial running mate.
According to him, Alia should be wary of some politicians who were out neither for the interest of the party nor the state but their selfish interest.
“The warning is coming even as the brouhaha of who should deputise Alia continues to generate tension with top politicians of the party in Zone C threatening to leave or stay in and frustrate the party.
“They vowed that they will not take it lightly if some Tiv leaders succeed in foisting a candidate on them.
“They are particularly questioning why some Tiv people have decided not to allow the traditional zoning arrangement carried out in zone C as it was done in Tivland without any interference from Zone C,” Onyilokwu said.
He lamented that few days ago the cyberspace was awash with news that former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Sam Ode, was chosen as the gubernatorial running mate.
He stated further that but Alia’s spokesperson, Mr Tersoo Kula, debunked the rumour, saying his principal was yet to pick a running mate.
He pointed out that the Zone C had four federal constituencies namely Obi/Oju, Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo, Otukpo/Ohimini and Apa/Agatu.
He stressed that all the three but Apa/Agatu had produced Deputy Governor.
“From 1999-2007, Prince Ogiri Ajene from Oju/Obi federal constituency was the deputy governor while from 2007-2015, Chief Stephen Lawani from Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency; and from 2015-date, Engr. Benson Abounu from Otukpo/Ohimini federal constituency.
“We are card-carrying members of APC but any attempt to undermine the people of Zone C for whatever purpose will not only be met with stiff resistance but we shall mobilise and work openly against the party,” he said.
When National Record reached out to Tersoo Kula, Rev. Fr. Alia’s Spokesman, to confirm if he had truly debunked the selection of Mr Ode as Alia’s running mate, he declined to speak on the matter saying it was an APC matter.
Kula said: “I don’t speak for APC; I speak for Fr Alia. If anything concerns Alia as a person, I will speak for him, but when it’s about APC, it’s the responsibility of the leadership of the party.”
