Agatu/Apa primary: Benue PDP delegates threaten to dump party

Some delegates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue state have threatened to dump the party over alleged irregularities in the Apa/Agatu federal constituency primary election conducted last Saturday.

The delegates rejected the result of the exercise which produced Comrade Ojotu Ojema as winner with 27 votes, alleging that it did not only fall short of democratic tenets, but deliberately manipulated to edge out a social crusader, Ambassador Melvin Ejeh, who was credited with 25 votes.

Also, they accused the Benue state Commissioner of Finance, Mr David Olofu, of unduly meddling in the exercise, alleging that he assaulted, harassed and intimidated delegates he felt were not favourably disposed to his candidate.

Some of the delegates, who spoke to Blueprint, said they were subjected to abuse and physically assaulted because they refused to be intimidated by the commissioner, stressing that those that insisted on protecting their votes were physically humiliated.

“We were subjected to untold humiliation in the hands of the commissioner simply because we chose to protect our votes. This is a very crude approach which negates the principles of modern democracy,” Ngbede Achegbani Fodio, a delegate said.

Speaking on behalf of the delegates from Apa local government area, Jacob Odey and Ohemu Solomon, alleged that delegates were intimidated and harassed to vote for a favoured candidate.

“It is clear that the best option is to cancel the Apa/Agatu House of Representatives primary election since it was marred with irregularities, assault, intimidation and inducement.”

Corroborating the claim, Hon Usman Suleiman Alilu, the agent of Amb Ejeh, aside from the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the primary, the process fell short of any democratic standard anywhere in the world.

Further, an observer of the exercise, Akobi John, described the attitude of the commissioner as “untoward political rascality of the governor’s cabinet member” and that he should be called to order.

But in a swift reaction, the Benue state Commissioner of Finance, Olofu, dismissed the allegations, saying he was assigned outside Apa and therefore was no way near the venue of the exercise.

He challenged those who have evidence of him abusing any delegate to come forward and present the same to the authorities.

“That cannot be true. There was nothing like that. Do your findings to determine the veracity or otherwise of their allegations, if you are not convinced about what I have told you,” he said.