By Samuel Ortom
·Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State yesterday said efforts were on top gear to appease aggrieved members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP towards resolving internal crises and forging ahead to bounce-back to power in the forth-coming general elections in the country.
The Governor made this known on Wednesday at the Makurdi Airport during an interaction with journalists upon his return from Abuja where he had attended an expanded stakeholders meeting as well of that of PDP Governors Forum.
He stated that the Party had resolved to remain focused in the face of intimidation and blackmail from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, stressing that the PDP is prepared to take Nigeria from bottom to top and not top to bottom as APC promised Nigerians in 2015.
According to the Governor, “PDP has learnt its lessons and it is willing to serve as a beacon of hope for the country’s democracy and as a Party that is people-oriented with the capacity to provide a better alternative.” He said the 13 Governors elected on the party’s platform remain united in promoting its interest above other considerations.
The Governor noted that APC has failed Nigerians on all fronts including economy, security and its mantra of anti-corruption fight, stressing that Nigerians have been abandoned to their fate by the ruling party.
He also further informed that the meeting with other stakeholders of the PDP decided that the National Executive Committee of the party should call for an early convention slated for October 2021, maintaining that all stakeholders of the Party endorsed the decision which is to be implemented according to the PDP constitution.
Reacting to claims by the APC in Benue that it had registered five million members, Governor Ortom said the claim was a ‘419’ move by the Party and a rehearsal for rigging in future elections.
He stated that the claim was against the overwhelming majority of members of the PDP in Benue which won the governorship, three Senatorial seats, Seven House of Representatives seats among others in the 2019 general election.
Governor Ortom described the moves to amend the Electoral Act by the National Assembly as another fiasco aimed at denying Nigerians the right to have their votes count, insisting that a push for manual transmission of results was against the tenets of credible and transparent elections.