The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Tiv speaking area of Benue State has endorsed Speaker of the State Assembly, Titus Uba, as consensus candidate for the party’s Governorship ticket.
At an expanded meeting of the party’s caucus from the Tiv speaking area held at the New Banquet Hall of the Government House, Makurdi, stakeholder blocs of the party endorsed Uba as the preferred candidate from Vandeikya LGA where the same caucus had earlier micro-zoned the Governorship ticket to.
Senators representing Benue North East and Benue North West Senatorial Districts, Gabriel Suswam and Emmanuel Orker-Jev, Former Assembly Speaker and PDP Board of Trustees member, Margaret Icheen and Tiv speaking members of the House of Representatives also lent their support to the endorsement of the Speaker.
Following the endorsement from the various stakeholder blocs, the party affirms that the process received the blessings of the five intermediate areas of the Tiv speaking area, namely Jechira, Kwande, Sankera, Jemgbagh and Minda which were represented by David Amo, Margaret Icheen, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, Dr. Laha Dzever and Cletus Upaa respectively.
The move was validated by Uba’s co-contestants from the Tiv speaking area who in their remarks through their Forum Chairman, Chille Igbawua, gave their blessings to the process and pledged their support to it and the party.
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In his acceptance remarks, Titus Uba on his knees before the Caucus expressed utmost appreciation for being chosen among many, and called on co-aspirants as well as all stakeholders and members of the party to come together in unity of purpose towards the objective of winning victory at the 2023 elections.
On behalf of Benue PDP, State Deputy Chairman, Isaac Mffo acknowledged the process as transparent, detailed and thorough enough to attract the party’s approval as a credible way forward towards winning victory at the 2023 elections in the state.
Leader of PDP in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom, lauded the process and appreciated all stakeholders for their untiring efforts which resulted in the endorsement, with particular plaudits reserved for the governorship aspirants whom he said showed a rare sense of loyalty and sacrifice for the larger interest of the party.
Governor Ortom called on all hands to remain on deck as more efforts are required to navigate the way through to an eventual consensus candidate for the party in the state.
Out of over 30 gubernatorial aspirants in PDP, the number has been trimmed down to two. They are Titus Uba with the endorsement of Benue North East and Benue North West Senatorial Districts and the State Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu.
Uba will now contend with Abounu for the sole ticket of the PDP for the 2023 Governorship election in Benue State.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
