Fresh Crisis Rocks Benue APC Over Imposition Of Ortom's Running Mate.

Nigeria Pilot Newspaper has reported that the Benue State Chapter of All Progressive Congress, APC, appears to be heading for another crisis over the imposition of Chief Benson Abounu as running mate of Samuel Ortom, the party’s governorship flag bearer in the February general election.

Stakeholders are reportedly protesting the alleged imposition, this paper earlier reported.

Majority of the party supporters had yesterday carried placards to the party leader in the state, Senator George Akume, decrying the alleged imposition of Abounu.

In a protest letter dated January 3, 2015, addressed to the Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume and the state party chairman, Abba Yaro, and signed by Patrick Ukwenya, Okpokwu Local Government Chairman of APC and Baba Salami, his counterpart from Apa Local Government Area, among other stakeholders, they described the adoption of Abounu as a political misnomer and a calculated attempt to make the party lose at the forthcoming general elections.
They said, “We truly think it is a bad idea to impose the candidature of Engr. Benson Abounu, who has always failed to deliver his ward (Okete) in all elections.

“Without any fear of contradiction, Engr Abounu has neither assumed any leadership role in the party in Idoma land nor made any substantial sacrifice in bringing all members of the party together in Zone C and as such will not enjoy the support of party faithful and electorates in the forthcoming elections,” the protesters stated.
Instead of Abounu, the LG party chairmen and stakeholders said it is better to field a vibrant candidate, who will be able to galvanise serious support for the victory of the party at the general elections.
They are terribly worried that elders of the party were not carried along in the decision making process that brought about his candidature as running mate of Chief Samuel Ortom, the party’s gubernatorial candidate and ruled that such decision cannot be acceptable by the Idoma people.
“We restate that the nomination of Engr. Abounu is unacceptable to the Idoma nation and it is our hope that you will by this development allow all major stakeholders of the party in Zone C to meet and choose an acceptable candidate to represent them,” the stakeholder restated.

They therefore appealed to Akume and Yaro to reconsider their decision as Abounu’s candidature will have adverse consequences for the party during elections.

Source Nigeria Pilot Newspaper.