PDP: It‘ll be unfair to deny N/Central National Chairmanship – Utaan

Comrad Utaan, a National Chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) from Benue state, says it will be unfair and an act of injustice if the North Central is denied the position in the coming convention of the party.

Mr. Utaan made the assertion in Makurdi while addressing the leadership of the G-14, a body of PDP elders from the 14 Tiv speaking Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Benue state.

He stated that he was in the race because he had the energy and ideas to turn around the fortunes of the PDP and make it the choice of everyone as it used to be.

He said: “My ambition is simple. Like you all know, Nigeria is waiting for the PDP. Nigerians are yearning for the PDP to return to power for governance in Nigeria.

“It is left for the PDP to put its house in order to be able to achieve Nigerians aspirations. So my desire to be PDP National Chairman is to unify our party, to rebuild our party, to reinvigorate our party and to reenergize our party so that we can begin to compete again within contemporary Nigeria.

“We have so many leaders of the party who have become inactive and docile because of the lack of leadership. The current acting Chairman of the party is doing well to keep the party together but then we are a party of laws and rules, a party that is ran by a constitution.

“So it is only proper that we bring the articles and the words of our constitution to bear on the leadership of the party by insisting on a smooth and seamless transition after the removal of the former National Chairman, Dr. Iorchia Ayu by the Court.”

The PDP stalwart also debunked claims that he masterminded the removal of Dr. Ayu from office saying “I did not remove Dr. Ayu. He was suspended by his Ward Executive in Ingyorov Council Ward of Gboko LGA.

“At the time there was a lot of confusion because he said he was not removed and the Ward Chairman said he had removed him. So it was out of this confusion that I approached the court to seek interpretation of constitution of the PDP as regards the situation. So what I did was courageous and it was an intervention to save the soul of the part.”

The former House of Representatives aspirant assured that if elected his immediate task would be to unify the PDP “because our party has lost its soul. We must return power to the people like the slogan of our party says but we can only do that if we are able to unify the party, bring out leaders back to the table. So my desire is to unify our party and rebuild it to compete in the next round of elections in Nigeria.”

Welcoming the delegation, the Chairman of the G-14, Dr. Laha Dzever expressed joy that able young people were aspiring for leadership positions assuring that the elders would consult widely including with the leader of the party in the state, former Governor Samuel Ortom and revert to the aspirant.

Another leader of G-14, Elder David Amo, urged the chairmanship aspirant to go ahead with the consultations adding that majority of the elders were in favour of his aspiration.

Speaking for Benue North-East (Zone A) senatorial district, Atsaga Anemba noted that Mr. Utaan was clear in his presentation and they had made their decision.

A former Acting State Chairman of the party, Mr. Isaac Mffo who spoke for Benue North-West (Zone B), senatorial district noted that the aspirant was explicit about his aspiration which he clearly said was not a do-or-die affair but an appeal to lead the party.

He commended him for the wisdom to begin the consultations from within pointing out that in any contest “one wins or loses, depending on the process of consultation deployed.”