By Yemi Itodo
The Benue State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has debunked speculations that the party in the state is engulfed in crisis following the recent zoning of the Governorship ticket of the party to a section of the state going into the 2023 general elections.
The party in a statement on Saturday by the State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, described the speculations as “sponsored publications” targeted to “smear the recent zoning of the Governorship ticket of the party”.
It said it was not surprised that the “ground-breaking success as it has achieved through its internal democratic processes so far could not escape the envy of its opponents who out of panic have resorted to such smear campaign”.
The party has zoned its Governorship ticket in Benue State in the Tiv speaking area to Jechira intermediate bloc and specifically to Vandeikya Local Government Area for the 2023 polls. It also named the incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, His Excellency, Engr. Benson Abounu, as the party’s Consensus contender for its Governorship ticket in the Zone ‘C’ Senatorial District of the state.
The zoning, according to publications circulating in some section of the media led to internal crisis in the party with aspirants not favoured by the zoning reportedly threatening not to abide by the party’s zoning law.
But the Benue PDP while debunking rumours of crisis in the state chapter, said the zoning process was “hitch free, transparent and attended by broad based acceptance within the party, both at the level of its leadership and followers”.
It said, “All internal democracy processes of the PDP in the state are conducted in line with the established tradition of the party as the greatest and most successful political party in the history of Nigeria, and the zoning exercise in issue here was done under the auspices of the State Working Committee of the party and witnessed by no less personalities than the National Chairman of our great party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Governor Samuel Ortom, Benue North-East Senator, Gabriel Suswam and member of its Board of Trustees, Chief Mrs. Margaret Icheen.
“Reasons, rationale and ratio decidendi (justification for decision arrived at) were transparently availed to the Special Stakeholders meeting of the party which comprised its statutory leadership composites as well as eminent personalities drawn from its rich pool of elders and statesmen”.
The party said all governorship aspirants of the party openly embraced the zoning decision.
“On the night of the said decision of the zoning of the ticket to Vandeikya, the entire body of PDP Governorship Aspirants had openly embraced the decision and pledged to throw their individual and collective support behind it to ensure the party comes through victorious at the coming 2023 elections.”
The Benue PDP advised the opposition that, “rather than seek to make mischief out of the successes of our great party in the area of internal democracy, they should learn from us so they may divorce their tradition of recurring failure in the practice of internal democracy”.
