Benue Rebirth Organisation condemned the pruning of aspirants in the PDP by persons who want to stop eminently qualified aspirants like Kyaagba.
By Julius Alabi
A group, Benue Rebirth Organization, (BRO) has condemned a secret plot by some governorship aspirants under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State to stop a co-aspirant, Arc. Joe Kyaagba, from the race.
Recall that in the last twenty-four hours, social media has been awash with the result of a purported pruning down of aspirants for the 2023 PDP Governorship primaries wherein, four candidates were reportedly selected by the Kunav Caucus.
It was gathered that the purpose for the pruning down, according to pundits, is to allow for an easier ride to the Governorship seat by a Kunav person from Vandeikya local government area of Benue State in the primaries.
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But the Benue Rebirth Organization in a statement signed by Comrade Joshua Ikyange and sent to our reporter condemned the pruning down of aspirants, noting that it was a plot that was carried out to stop eminently qualified aspirants like Kyaagba.
The group pressed further that the exercise didn’t receive the blessing and authorization of the state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, leader of the party In Zone A, Senator Gabriel Suswam, as well as the party’s State Working Committee.
The group however said that the exercise will jeopardize the chance of the party if necessary action isn’t taken immediately.
The statement reads: “The masterminded results of the Vandeikya PDP caucus towards the pruning down of governorship aspirants without stated parameters if condoned by the state party machinery paints a very poor credibility quotient for the party going forward.
“Such sponsored mischief to discontenance credible PDP aspirants in an undemocratic and nontransperent approach that throws up poor leadership recruitment for the state will only shoot the PDP in the foot as the public is watching anxiously for the quality of emerging party candidates to decide their direction of voting.
”From the round of consultations being made by the Vandeikya aspirants across the state, the pedigree, performance antecedents and blue prints presented by Arc Joe Kyaagba and Dr Paul Angya, give much hope to the Benue electorate and PDP stakeholders in Benue State.
“To place Prof Ityavyar first after his extremely abysmal performance as commissioner of Education and chairman Economic team of the Ortom administration suggests the mediocre judgement of the delegates and complete insensitivity to the fortunes of the PDP in the 2023 general elections.
“The 2026 gang up by the Kunav people to hoist trumped up charges, arrest, detain, prosecute and force the exit of Joe Kyaagba from the Ortom government, was obviously a calculated attempt at frustrating his assailing candidature to the 2023 Governorship contest.
“This is yet another miscalculated attempt at casting doubts about his popularity. The attempted muscling of Joe Kyaagba known to all in the state as an astute stricker for the party with very high ratings across the state as the governorship hopeful for Benue State will cast a low morale among the Benue electorate.
“The more the efforts at preventing the PDP from putting their best foot forward, while the APC are tinkering with the likes of Prof. Terhemba Shija and the renowned Catholic healing priest Fr Hyacinth Alia Ph.D, the ruling party in Benue State is unwittingly be singing their REQUIEM song for the dead. The lessons of 2015 PDP electoral losses in Benue State must not be forgotten too quickly.
“Are they afraid of Joe Kyaagba or what? Joe Kyaagba is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (FNIA), a member of the national institute (mni), and a member of the Catholic order of the Knights of St Mulumba (KSM). A former Benue State Commissioner of works and Housing; Former Special Duties Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom; a doctoral student in security and strategic studies who successfully executed the Benue Amnesty program between 2015-2016 under Gov Ortom’s first tenure”
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