The PDP elders’ caucus in Benue South West Senatorial zone has excluded former Niger Delta minster Sam Odeh and Mr Harris Ogbole from contesting the governorship primaries of the party.
The meeting which was held in Otukpo on Monday also urged the remaining aspirants in the race to harmonise their positions and present a formidable candidate who would challenge aspirants from the other zones of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Odeh and Ogbole, a lawyer, were excluded from the contest following the unanimous endorsement of Senate President David Mark for another term in the senate.
Stakeholders at the meeting resolved that since Mark hailed from Otukpo alongside the other two, it was inappropriate for them to contest for the governorship ticket of the party with aspirants from other local governments.
The elders maintained that Otukpo had represented the zone in the National Assembly for past 16 years and with the recent endorsement, it therefore, meant the local government would be representing the zone for 20 years.
Following the exclusion of Odeh and Ogbole, Mrs Ada Chenge, the Managing Director of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA) is left to slug it out with Steve Lawani, the incumbent deputy governor.
The meeting which was presided by Maj-Gen. Geoffrey Ejiga (Rtd), gave the remaining contestants one week to present one person as the aspirant representing the zone at the November primaries.
NAN reports that the zone is comprised of nine local government areas and has the second largest ethnic group in the state.(NAN)