Benue APC backs NEC, rejects sole candidacy at convention

By Ali Alkali

Stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zone C, Benue state Chapter, have upheld the decision of the National Executive Council (NEC) by rejecting sole candidacy in all positions of the party in elective congress at all the levels of the party.
Briefing journalists at it expanded caucus meeting at the weekend in Otukpo, Benue state, the Zonal Leader of the party in the Zone C, Mike Onoja, said the meeting upheld the position of the NEC on elective congress at all levels in Zone C.
This means that all the ward, local government council and zonal positions will be keenly contested and won by party leaders as stipulated in the constitution of the party.
Another stakeholders’ meeting was later held at the Golden Palm Hotel, Otukpo, which was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe, former Senate President, Senator Ameh Ebute, Zonal Leader, Mike Onoja, former House of Representatives member, Hon. Hassan Saleh and Mathias Oyigeya.
Other notable party leaders who endorsed the NEC decision included John Enyi, Godwin Ukpoju, Mike Iduma, Daniel Ogwola, P.S Ochijele and Edo Egboja, among others.
Onoja, a retired Permanent Secretary, informed that the closed door meeting of the stakeholders vehemently rejected the unilateral endorsement of anybody as sole candidate for any position.
The meeting also asked all members of the party seeking any position zoned to Zone C to make their interest formal. It also asked all members to make concerted efforts to mobilize party faithful and the electorate to ensure the success of the party.
Onoja, who became the second runner-up in the 2007 PDP governorship primaries against ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam, said he was very optimistic of the party’s chances in the 2019 general elections.