ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Mr Terver Akase, the Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media and Publicity, has revealed how Governor Samuel Ortom begged stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to elect Senator Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s National Chairman.
Akase speaking on Wednesday on Arise TV breakfast programme, “The Morning Show” said before the emergence of Ayu as Chairman of the party, Ortom met with other Governors begging them to give his state the position.
Reacting to the current face-off between Ayu and Ortom, Akase claimed his principal has no personal issue with Senator Ayu, but was only insisting on equity, fairness and justice in the party.
He said, Ortom remains committed to the amicable resolution of PDP’s internal wranglings at the national level.
He pointed out that “It was Governor Ortom who met with other Governors and persuaded them that the National Chairman should come to his state and that he will take responsibility.
“He convinced them and when they agreed, he brought Senator Ayu,” stating that Ortom is only committed to seeing the right thing done by the leadership of the party at the national level.”
Reacting to comments credited to the party’s National Chairman where he (Ayu) was quoted as saying he had the powers to stop anyone including Governor Ortom from contesting election on the platform of the party, Akase said “the comments of Dr Ayu were needless as the constitution of the party and the Electoral Act does not permit such an action.”
He stressed that Governor Ortom remains the PDP Senatorial candidate for the Benue North-West Senatorial district for next year’s general election.
“The blocs in the seven Local Governments that make up the Senatorial district have unanimously endorsed him. On several occasions, they have come to say he is the man they need to represent and speak for them and other Nigerians at the National Assembly,” Akase stated.
He maintained also that the national leadership of the party has failed to use the conflict resolution mechanism to address the problems that arose from the national convention of the party as well as the circumstances surrounding the choice of a running mate for the Presidential candidate.
The Governor’s spokesperson, however, expressed optimism that the crisis could still be resolved as the five aggrieved Governors were open to peace talks.
“It is not too late for the national leadership of the party to correct the wrongs and make amends. A party that is seeking to rescue the country from the APC misrule, the PDP needs internal peace and unity more than any other party”, he said.
According to Akase, the five Governors are critical stakeholders of the party who according to him: “have contributed greatly in building the party over the years, emphasizing that they cannot suddenly turn around to destroy the party they have built over the years.”
On the comments made by the PDP Presidential candidate about the recent killing of Benue people in Gbeji by armed Fulani herdsmen that the herders be integrated into Benue communities, Mr Akase described the statements as unfortunate and unacceptable.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a former Vice President and we expect him to be the nationalist, patriot and unifier that he says he is. So for him to make such comments when people were killed in Benue State by the Fulanis, it is unacceptable,” he said.
Akase maintained that neither the Governor nor the people of Benue State have any issue with the Fulani.