6 Benue PDP guber aspirants reject Ortom

SIX gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, have kicked against the return of the state governor, Samuel Ortom, to the party.

The aspirants, Prof. David Ker, Dr. Gabriel Nyibe, John Tondo, Dr. Terhemen Tarzoor, David Iorhemba and Prof. Eugene Aliegba addressed a press conference in Abuja on Monday, claiming that the governor cannot add any value to the party.

They also vowed to resist any attempt to dissolve the state party executives from the state for the ward levels as may be contemplated to accommodate the governor and all those that may come with him to the party.

Ortom had recently declared that he had been given a red card by his the leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue and is thought to be thinking of rejoining the PDP.

Chairman of the Forum of PDP Governorship Aspirants in Benue State, Prof. Ker, who read the text of the press conference, however, said they were not against the coming of more people into the PDP but would resist any attempt to take unilateral decisions on matters that affect the state chapter of the party.

A total of 13 aspirants were listed at the press conference but only six of them signed the text delivered.

Ker admonished the state chapter of the party to stick to its pledge to conduct a free and fair primary, noting that anything short of that would spell doom for the PDP.

He stated: “We reiterate that a level playing field for a free, fair and transparent primary election which has been promised us by the Benue state leadership of the PDP remains the only option by which the party could credibly and successfully nominate a governorship candidate in the 2019 governorship election if indeed the party is serious at recapturing power from the present APC-controlled government in the state.

“While we may not oppose any group or individuals from joining and participating in the affairs of the party in the state, we are strongly opposed to a purported unilateral decision to dissolve the executives of the party at all levels in the state to accommodate or give undue advantage to any group or person angling to join the party.”

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According to him, any form of imposition would be “resisted” by the aspirants.

But in his contribution, one of the aspirants, John Tondu argued that though politics is a game of numbers, the governor has no electoral value to make the PDP the party to beat.

He said: “The governor of Benue state today is a liability, not an asset. He is not welcome.

“Because of the love we have for the people of Benue state, anything that will cripple our plan to take over the state should not be tolerated.”

Speaking in the same vein, Tarzoor, who was the PDP candidate in the state in the 2015 election, said Governor Ortom credibility has reached an all-time low, having been shown the ‘red card’ by the APC.

He stated: “We are sensitive to the value and character of the people joining the PDP. We won’t sit down and watch people of negative value join the party; someone who has not paid salaries for one year and four months.

“When a person is chased out of a party, it speaks much about that person and what he represents.”