….Advises SWC To Set Up Disciplinary Committee To Investigate, Punish Iortyom

Concerned Benue PDP (People’s Democratic Party) Stakeholders have disowned Bemgba Iortyom, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, for declaring that the party may support, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2027 election.

President Tinubu who is of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), won the 2023 general election on the platform of the APC and based on precedence, is likely to re-contest for a second term in 2027.

Ada, who was reacting to the outing of the publicity secretary of the party on TVC (Television Continental),
condemned Iortyom’s claim that the leadership of the PDP in Benue may support President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election for fairness and equity, as well as to balance the political equation in the country.

The group also called on the Benue State Working Committee (SWC) of the party to mete out punitive measures on Iortyom, since he was not mandated by the party to speak on its behalf.

Speaking on behalf of the group in Makurdi on Tuesday, Prof Nicholas Ada, said the stakeholders and other members of the party have decided to pass a vote of no confidence on the state publicity secretary of the party for his action.

Prof Ada, was flanked at the occasion by a gubernatorial aspirant in the 2023 party primaries, Dr Paul Ubwa; an immediate past member of the Benue State House of Assembly, Domimic Ucha and Terfa Bosua, a former Chairman, Katsina-Ala LGA among others.

While the group challenged the SWC of the PDP to as a matter of urgency come up with its position disowning Iortyom, on his statement concerning the 2027 presidential election, it urged the party to set up a disciplinary committee to investigate and consequently punish the publicity secretary, for the statement, which it described as “unfortunate” to serve as deterrent to other members engaged in anti-party activities.

Ada, explained that the Stakeholders had at no point in time mandated, Iortyom to choose a presidential candidate for it, arguing that the position was entirely his’ and not that of the party, because as an adult he was entitled to his own opinion.

He insisted that the party was supreme and would decide who emerges as its candidates and would also support all her candidates including the presidential candidate that would be elected to fly its flag during the 2027 presidential election, not minding which part of the country, the candidate emerges from.

The stakeholders also posited that from the forth-coming party congresses, only credible and committed party men and women would be elected into party leadership at all levels in order to avoid putting “black sheeps” into the ring.

While passing a vote of no confidence on Bemgba Iortyom, the stakeholders noted that what the PDP needed most at this material time was the total overhaul and rebuilding of the party, instead of “baseless arguments” over who gets the party’s support in an election that is three years away, Ada observed.