As everyone’s attention was focused on PDP and APC presidential primaries, interesting things happened in smaller parties that demonstrated evil and capable of damaging the ideals of democracy, even though what we practice in Nigeria is still not an ideal democratic system of government.
Benue State Chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) under the leadership of Mr. Ameh Ebute Junior, converged on Abuja with 50 delegates for its presidential primary and national convention as done by other political parties.
After the arrival of the delegates, the chairman, Mr. Ameh Ebute Junior, allegedly refused to allow some delegates to participate in the primary and vote the candidates of their choice. It was alleged that the chairman.gave their tags to his brothers who were not elected as delegates in the first place to participate in the exercise and, thereafter, shared what was meant for them to his brothers.
One of the delegates was allowed to participate but his transportation fare was not given to him because he allegedly condemned the action of the chairman. He represented the local government chairman of the party who was not able to attend the convention because of ill health, still in the hospital at the time of writing this report.
According to him, he pleaded with the state chairman of the party, to at least pay his transportation fare the same way he paid other delegates to enable him go back home to his family but the chairman allegedly refused. He said he had no choice than to beg people for money to enable him travel back to Adikpo in Benue state.
It was also alleged that after the arrival of the delegates in Abuja, they were taken to somewhere in Mararaba, Nasarawa state where only 15 local hotel rooms were rented for 50 delegates from Benue state for the SDP presidential primary.
According to them, the chairman claimed that only N750,000 was given to him by the national chairman of the party for their transportation, accommodation and feeding.
A woman mobiliser from Benue state came to the convention as an observer but on reaching the venue, the state chairman allegedly gave her the tag of a delegate to participate by voting an aspirant the chairman was interested in. And when it was time to give transportation fare of N37,500 per delegate, the chairman allegedly told her she was an observer not a delegate and didn’t give her anything. Yet, the person she replaced was at the venue and nothing was given to him, my investigation revealed.
A call was put across to the chairman to hear his side of the story but he refused to speak on the matter and insisted that the source of the information about his action must be disclosed to him. He also refused to attend to a text message sent to him at the time of writing this letter.
The affected delegates are now calling on the SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, to please call Mr. Ameh Ebute Junior, the state chairman, to order and prevent him from causing more damage to the party.
According to them, they may not work in favour of the party in their state as they were not treated with respect and dignity by their chairman who replaced them, gave their tags to his brothers, and also gave what was meant for them to the same people.
Awunah Pius Terwase,
Mpape, Abuja.
08179289948
