- Suswam Supporters Kick, Says No LG Congress Held August 17
By Amos Aar
PEOPLE‘s Democratic Party (PDP) loyalists of immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, have called on all aggrieved members of the party in the state to sheathe their swords, embrace peace and unity towards winning the forthcoming local government elections in the state slated for November 5, 2024.
The stakeholders made the call on Tuesday in Makurdi at a press conference addressed by the chairman of G-14, Chief Laha Dzever, three days after Ortom’s loyalists floored those of his predecessor in office and now political opponent, Senator Gabriel Suswam, at the local government congresses said to have been held on Saturday, August 17, 2024.
The stakeholders said the congresses were successful in all the 17 LGAs out of 23 where the exercise took place while congresses in the remaining 6 LGAs were pending as a result of a court judgement on a suit filed by aggrieved members.
They called for adherence to laws of the party by its members in solving internal issues, saying the party was supreme and capable of handling all grievances, hence no need for litigations and press statements inimical to the party.
They also passed a vote of confidence on the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, Caretaker State Working Committee (CSWC), PDP State leader, Chief Samuel Ortom, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Patrick Abba Moro, and Senator Gabriel Suswam, for their various efforts that have sustained the party.
“We call for adherence to the laws of the party which copiously provide for safeguarding the rights of its members and the obligations they owe it. As members of the PDP, we must, even when aggrieved, be guided by provisions of Section 58 of the party’s constitution (as Amended in 2017) which prohibit the sponsoring of subversive activities within its ranks, publication of its internal disputes and resort to litigation without first exhausting the dispute resolution modalities provided in its domestic forum.
“We urge all members of the party who have taken their grievances to court without exploring the internal dispute resolution mechanisms provided in its laws and those who have been visibly active in the media publicizing the disputes which have arisen from the ongoing elective congresses to withdraw such actions and abide by the party’s laws.
“It has not yet been proven that there is any dispute that we cannot resolve among ourselves as members of the Benue PDP family.
“We hereby call for a cessation of all outward ventilation of grievances by members of the party, and enjoin aggrieved members to channel their actions inward.
“We call for peace, we call for closing of ranks, we call for unity of purpose. Above all, we call for adherence to the authority of the laws of the party in the spirit of the principle of party supremacy the text of the press conference read in part.
Suswam loyalists kick
However, Suswam’s loyalists under the aegis of PDP patriots had earlier in a statement signed by former speaker pro-tempore of the House of Representatives, Hon. Terngu Tsegba, over the weekend argued that local government congress did not take place on August 17,2024 as claimed by Ortom’s loyalists.
The PDP patriots claimed that they had exhausted all avenues to resolve the issues internally, accusing the Caretaker SWC chairman, Senator Napoleon Bali, appointed by the NWC from Plateau State, of taking side with Ortom’s faction, hence their resort to litigation.
The press statement, signed by Hon. Terngu Tsegba, reads:
“Gentlemen of the press, Distinguished Party men and women. Seated here today, we are all bonafide & loyal members of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). We are here to speak to you and the whole world about the PDP Local Government Congresses that were supposed to take place yesterday, August 17th, 2024 but did not hold. first, let us refresh your memories about what took place during the July 27th ward congresses across Benue State.
“Whereas the ward congresses were held in 15 Local Governments, they were not held in Eight Local Governments because a group led by the former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, hijacked Congress materials meant for the eight Local Governments to an unknown destination.
“Even For the 15 Local Governments where the congresses were held, the Bode Ojomo, the Ward Congresses Electoral panel collated and dully signed the result sheets but abandoned them at the Benue State PDP and left for Abuja with no results.
“Note that party officials & delegates elected from the ward congresses are the people who should have voted to elect the Local Government Exco members of the party if the Local Government Congresses were to be held.
“The guidelines for the Ward, Local Government, State, Zonal Congresses, and the National Convention clearly state in Article 12.0 item number 4 that “after the Exercises, the chief collation officer (i.e. Secretary of the congress electoral Committee) shall collate the results of each office unto the executive summary of result (ESR 01- 03) and transmit as follows:
“Original Copy – National Secretariat
“Duplicate – State Secretariat
“Failure to adhere strictly with the above could subject the result of such congresses to cancellation,” but no such thing was done as the result that should have been displayed had been thrown away by the Bode Ojomo electoral panel.
“Even at that, and quite curiously too, an appeal panel came from Abuja and also did not sit or talk to any party man or woman here and left back to Abuja the next day. We drew the attention of the National Working Committee of the party through a report by the out-gone State Working Committee.
“We are sure you are aware by now that our party has a Caretaker Committee led by Senator Napoleon Bali from Plateau State. As loyal and law-abiding members of our party, we waited patiently for the new Caretaker Committee to resume work and deal with these issues.
“Indeed, they resumed work, but as we drew their attention to the fact that the authentic results from the Local Governments where congresses were held were still lying at the state Secretariat, the Napoleon Bali committee displayed parallel results that were completely fake and different from the real results.
“Even more disturbing is the fact that the National Working Committee of our party did not bother to look into issues but instead went ahead to schedule Local Government Congresses and even sent an electoral panel to come and conduct the congresses using the manufactured fake Exco lists that were supplied from Abuja.
“If you were at the Benue State PDP state Secretariat yesterday you will see that the mammoth crowd of party members vehemently rejected that. Senator Napoleon Bali saw the desire of the Benue PDP that the right thing be done and took the electoral panel away from the State secretariat to an unknown destination.
“Let it, therefore, be known to the NWC, NEC, the BOT, and indeed the whole wide world that the Local Government Congresses of the PDP, therefore, did not hold anywhere in Benue State, and so no one should cook any result for any state congresses in Benue and present anywhere. We also call on the NWC of our great party to first of all discard the manufactured ward congress results they are holding onto, collect and use the authentic results which are still lying at the Benue state PDP Secretariat before thinking of moving onto the Local Government Congresses.
“We also request that the NWC should immediately reschedule and conduct congress in the Local Governments where they did not hold.
“We remain loyal and law-abiding members of the PDP and will remain steadfast and committed to reclaiming it from the bad elements amongst us that are bent on breaking the party.”
