Stakeholders and leaders of Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State Thursday night pruned down the number of governorship aspirants to two blocs; Vandeikya from Zone A and Otukpo from Zone C.
The pruning down was a result of the desire of the PDP to get a consensus candidate for the 2023 governorship election and avoid rancour.
No fewer than 34 persons on the platform of PDP had signified interest to contest in the forthcoming governorship election from Benue North East senatorial district known as Zone A and Benue South senatorial district known as Zone C of the state.
It was reliably gathered that three of the aspirants; the deputy governor, Benson Abounu, a businessman, Paul Ubwa, and former acting Director-General of National Orientation Agency, Dr Paul Angya had already picked governorship form.
While Zone C which has nine LGAs had narrowed down to deputy governor, Benson Abounu, Zone A has three blocs; Old Kwande (Kwande and Ushongo LGAs) Jechira, (Konshisha and Vandeikya LGAs) and Sankera comprises of (Logo, Katsina-Ala and Ukum LGAs) on Thursday night narrowed down to Jechira (Konshisha and Vandeikya LGAs) while Vandeikya local government had been favored in micro zoning.
Sankera bloc from Zone A and the whole Benue northwest senatorial district known as Zone B is out of the race having recently produced a governor in the person of Senator Gabriel Suswam (2007-2015) and the incumbent, Samuel Ortom respectively, (2015-2023).
The party and stakeholders, according to the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, are expected to meet on April 7 2022 to pick a consensus candidate from, Vandeikya local government area.
In a statement issued by the party publicity secretary titled “Benue PDP Narrows Race For Its 2023 Governorship Ticket, Iortyom, said:
“The party last night at a Special Stakeholders meeting zoned the ticket in the Tiv speaking area to Vandaikya Local Government Area, having arrived at a Consensus Candidate in the Idoma speaking area in the person of incumbent Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu at an earlier similar meeting last Sunday.
“Deliberations at last night’s meeting involved the party’s top leadership including Their Excellencies, Governor Samuel Ortom PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Senator Gabriel Suswam, and BoT member, Chief Mrs. Margaret Icheen as well as members of the House of Representatives.
“A Special Ad-hoc Committee headed by the party’s State Deputy Chairman, Hon. Isaac Mffo, received the mandate at the meeting to firstly deliberate and arrive at zoning of the Governorship ticket between the Kwande and Jechira intermediate areas, following which Jechira was favoured on grounds of equity, inclusiveness, and fairness.
“The Isaac Mffo led Ad- hoc Committee was further mandated to deliberate on zoning of the ticket between Vandeikya and Konshisha local government areas which comprise the Jechira bloc following which Vandeikya got the nod for the same reasons of equity, inclusiveness, and fairness earlier adduced in favour of Jechira against Kwande.
“Thursday, 7th April 2022 was then slated as the date for the adoption of a consensus candidate for the party’s governorship ticket in the Tiv speaking area.
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