Benue 2019: Ortom in a bounce as crises hit opposition

The unfolding political drama in the two major opposition parties in Benue state, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, is somewhat creating a smooth walkover for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and reelection of Governor Samuel Ortom in 2019.

The crisis rocking the APC stemmed from the fact the political heavy weights in the party have been at daggers drawn and are not prepared to shift grounds as to who becomes the running mate of the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Emmanuel Jime.

As at today, APC has not been able to pick a running mate from the Benue South district or Idoma speaking area of the state where the position is usually zoned to.

Findings from the Makurdi office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, indicated that the party picked one Isaac Vembe, from Gboko local government area, same senatorial district with the gubernatorial candidate, as running mate.

Vanguard reliably gathered that some top APC members in the state now attend nocturnal meetings in the PDP in a bid to sabotage the party as revenge for the manner Abuja hijacked the selection of its governorship candidate to the exclusion of those who spent time and resources to galvanize support for the party even when majority of Benue people referred to the APC as a Miyetti Allah party

Vanguard, November 21, 2018

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