The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders from Itabono Ward 1 and other party leaders have written a protest letter to the Benue State Governor, Dr Samuel Ortom against Ogbadibo Local Government Caretaker Chairman, Prince Samuel Onuh over what they described as “political falsehood” and an attempt to undermine the existing zoning structures in Owukpa.
The letter titled, “Protest against Hon. Prince Onuh, the Caretaker Chairman Ogbadibo Local Government for his political falsehood,” was signed by the PDP Ward Chairman, Secretary, Women leader, Youths leader and other party stakeholders and circulated on Wednesday.
Onuh has purchased the PDP interest and nomination form to contest the Ogbadibo Chairmanship election against existing party and traditional zoning formula.
The three pages letter of protest dated October 28, 2019 was directly addressed to Gov.Ortom and copied to the State Party Chairman, John Ngbede, Ogbadibo Party Leader, Adaba Abah (Mad Lion) and the Council Party Chairman, Hon Vincent Amuche respectively.
The Ward Excos and Stakeholders, in the letter, expressed disappointment at what they described as “Prince Onuh’s political falsehood,” to hijack the Ward long overdue chairmanship position zoning slot which was previously agreed upon by Owukpa Party Stakeholders.
The letter reads in part, “The reason for our protest, therefore, is that surprisingly, Hon Onuh, the caretaker chairman went ahead and purchased his form claiming that the chairmanship position has been zoned to his Ward (EHAJE WARD 1) contrary to the accepted zoning formula and what was agreed upon by Owukpa PDP caucus….”
The stakeholders appealed to Gov Ortom to quickly call Onuh to order before he destroys the zoning formula which exists in Ogbadibo since its creation in 1991.
“We, therefore, appeal for Your Excellency to call Hon. Onuh to order to respect the zoning formula. If Onuh is allowed to continue, the zoning structure in Ogbadibo will be disorganised and its consequences will be severe”.
“Finally, zoning policy commences in Ogbadibo since its creation in 1991 and has ever been respected at the LG down to the districts and to the Ward levels”.
Confirming the source of the letter on telephone call, the PDP Itabono Ward 1 Chairman, Jerome Ameh, said that of course, he was aware of the letter, stating that Itabono Ward 1 PDP stakeholders and leaders took the decision in a meeting held in Makurdi, Benue State capital.
“I was part of the meeting in Makurdi where we took the decision to write the letter to His Excellency over the activities of the caretaker Chairman, Onuh in Owukpa against the party and community zoning structure”.
Reacting to whether or not he personally signed the letter, he said, “We took the decision in Makurdi and the letter was also to be written in Makurdi for the sake of other stakeholders resident in the state capital and for easy and quick transmission to the governor. So the party leaders that are resident in the village including myself agreed that the letter should be written and signed on our behalf as we could not wait to append our signatures for want of time”.
