The Governorship Campaign Organization of the Alia/Ode 2023 Governorship Elections on March 11th, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Benue State, is oblivious of the fact that lame accusations against her by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in her recent outing to showcase her “blueprint of tantrums” instead of what her candidate has to offer, has been an undue public outcry.

The PDP has been wiring a diagram of sorrows against the APC in the state since the party received the mandate of the people with two senators elected and ten members elected to the House of Representatives, pretending in writing that they are raising cogent alarms in the interest of the people while the real plans behind the scenes are the evil that they are hatching to execute.

The State Publicity Secretary, andDeputy Director, Media and Publicity,State Campaign Management Committee (2023) of the party, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, is out with another accusation in a headline thus: “APC More Interested In Deploying Security To Rig Elections Than Protecting Lives In Benue,” saying that a heavy security presence, conspicuously at the polling units, would rather harden the resolve of the people to reject the party (APC), of which he is well aware that the people have settled to vote massively for Fr. Alia and the State House of Assembly Candidates, respectively, on the 11th of March, 2023.

It is ridiculous that the State Publicity Secretary, who is in a position to inform, educate, and fix appropriately the right channels of information to the public, doesn’t know that it is necessary for the precious lives of the people to be protected against the evil plans of the PDP to disrupt the governorship and state assembly elections, as they warm up to exercising their franchise on FR. ALIA’s Market/Healing Mass Day (March 11), as they fondly call it. A series of calls have flooded in from the people, expressing worries that something urgently needs to be done to protect them and the general election from the plans that the ruling party is nursing to truncate the election to avert facing another humiliation at the polls.

It is also a constitutional mandate of any “legitimate organization,” such as the All Progressives Congress (APC), aspiring to lead the people, with the oath of office, to protect lives and property and to do everything humanly possible to reciprocate the mandate in a peaceful atmosphere. Therefore, the incoming administration of Fr. Alia is conscious of the duties and responsibilities before him to protect lives and property, even as he would do it to ensure that the IDPs go back to their ancestral homes. PDP’s pretentious eye contact with the people is known to them, and no amount of falsehood in the name of speaking in their favor would deter them from putting their awaited King on the throne.

They are aware that each electioneering season, since Governor Ortom emerged on the platform, the state usually experiences some mysterious killings in the name of Fulani herders, which the party (PDP) always capitalizes on as a campaign tool or propaganda to tag all manner of accusations against the APC-led federal government. The Governor has not been able to deliver as Chief Security Officer of the state for almost 8 years now, which is why they voted him out as a mark of punishment for poor performance.

Perhaps the killings are hatched by the accusers to use them as a yardstick to prove their commitment to the people, while within the electorate, they know exactly where their fingerprints are going: on the ballot papers. Fr. Alia is a market day, according to them!

The State Publicity Secretary is also optimistic that PDP is charging the Benue electorate “to duly note that APC’s preference for deploying security personnel to Benue only for purposes of elections shows clearly that the party does not value the lives of Benue people but is only interested in hijacking their mandate by unfair means,” whereas the people have voted out the incumbent and former governors of the state at the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly Elections in the country at their will, and would do same this coming Saturday.

Therefore, where we are currently in Benue State is beyond playing politics of divide and rule with the people, as they are fully aware of their rights and electoral values on the ballot papers.

Fr. Alia has built confidence in the Benue people, and they believe voting for him would be a vote for payment of salary arrears, pensions, and their gratuities; rural infrastructure in their communities; security of lives and property within their domain; peace and unity; meeting their expectations; economic viability; and good governance, to mention but a few.

He has assured the people that their crucial support and efforts towards his emergence as the next governor of the state would certainly not be in vain. The Governorship Candidate made this known to them in acknowledgement of their commitment and dedication to ensuring that his party (the APC) emerged victorious at the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly Elections, saying that the victories are truly remarkable and adding that the people’s votes and contributions have played a significant role in the party’s success, “and we do not take it for granted,” he said.

He said he was delighted to have earned the people’s trust and confidence in the party’s leadership and policies. According to him, through his leadership, this would be sustained to deliver on his campaign promises and move Nigeria, and Benue State in particular, to the next level of development when he is elected and sworn in as the governor on May 29, 2023.

DONALD KUMUN,

Deputy Director of Communications (Public Affairs),

Alia/Ode 2023 Governorship Campaign Organization,

Benue State.

Visit our Blog page for more news/events, and also Follow Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia on Social Media Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube