65% of Benue’s total valid votes sure for Atiku, mobiliser boasts

Leader of Ward2Ward4Atiku, Abraham Chila, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would get 65 per cent of Benue State votes despite Governor Samuel Ortom’s alleged support for Governor Nyesom Wike in the power tussle within the party.

Ortom had reportedly stated that unless Wike is appeased, PDP risks being doomed during the 2023 presidential election, adding that the right things must be done to ensure fairness and equity in the party.

But, in an interaction with journalists in Abuja, Chila submitted that regardless of whatever stunt the governor could pull during next year’s general elections, PDP and Atiku would garner 65 per cent of the votes cast.

Chila, who is a grassroots mobiliser, pointed out that from 1999 till date, PDP has become very entrenched in Benue, adding that the fact that Dr. Iyorchia Ayu is the national chairman of the party makes it imperative that nothing could change the voting pattern in the state.

His words: “You may wish to know that my governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, is also a candidate for the senatorial election in next year’s elections. Interestingly, the presidential election and that of National Assembly come up the same day.

“So, with Governor Ortom’s fate tied to that of (former) Vice President Atiku Abubakar, it is impossible for PDP to get less than 65 per cent of the total votes cast. And with our son, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, as the national chairman, PDP has the bragging rights for the maximum votes from Benue State.”

Chila, who contested the party’s ticket for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, explained that being a predominantly agrarian state with more population in the rural communities, no other political party could achieve rural penetration more than the PDP.

He added: “Further, you know that the first thing that comes to your mind when it rains is an umbrella. Now, serious rain is beating Nigeria both in the area of security and economic downturn. Our people remember the umbrella and how PDP provided the good old days.

“We need stability and security, and Benue State voters know that the only man that can pull Nigeria back from the precipices is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The former Vice President is not coming to the presidency as a learner, but will bring his wealth of experience to bear on national reconstruction.”

On the calls by some PDP stakeholders on Iyorchia to resign, Chila stressed that those making the move “are either mistaken or mischievous,” arguing that the former Senate President emerged through a foolproof process.

He said urging the national chairman to quit when he committed no impeachable offence amounts to questioning the very rudiments of democracy, as only the party through a national convention, which is the highest caucus of the party, could make such demand.