Johnson Babajide -Makurdi
Ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State have faulted the State Governor, Samuel Ortom, over the choice of the presidential candidate.
Governor Samuel Ortom had, at a town hall meeting last week, taking a position to support the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi
But at another town hall meeting organized by Professionals for Atiku held in Makurdi on Monday, two chieftains of PDP, former Minister of Power and Steel, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, and former Minister of Interior, Senator Abba Moro countered Governor Ortom just as they urged the participants to go back to grassroots and draw support for Atiku.
The PDP chieftains argued that of all the presidential candidates for the Saturday election, only Atiku possesses the experience to lead the country at this time.
Moro, who was the guest speaker at the occasion, said, “most of the presidential candidates are woodworking Nigerians and not even proferring solutions to our problems. The infrastructural deficit has remained an eye sour in the State and other parts of Nigeria, particularly roads.
“The alarming level of insecurity and educational system collapse of all aspects of our socio-economic life is begging for a solution. We need someone with structure and experience to take Nigeria out of the woods.
” We should take a critical assessment of the antecedents of the candidates. Atiku can address institutional educational decay, public-private partnership development, and also unify Nigeria. He is a bridge builder.
“Those governors not supporting him have their lifeline at stake. The G-5 is already divided. Benue people should be careful in picking their choice as we do not have the clout or a large voting population, and if we mismanage the little we have, then we will be in the problem”, Moro admonished.
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During his presentation, Professor Hagher faulted the sentiment being whipped that Atiku is the same as Fulani that has been killing people in the state.
The former ambassador drew his argument from the scripture, saying that though Atiku is a Fulani man but with a difference coming as the biblical serpent calved by Moses in the wilderness when the serpent bit the Israelites.
He said, “God did not use crocodile or bird but the same fiery serpent set on a pole, so a Fulani man was killing our people but another Fulani man is coming to relieve us from the killing.
