Benue State APC Asks David Mark to Withdraw From Senatorial Re-run

The ruling party, APC, led by the deputy governor, Benson Abounu, at the party’s zonal caucus meeting has however advised the former Senate President, David Mark, to, “humbly withdraw from the senatorial re-run election so as to avoid shameful defeat.”

Meanwhile, former Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro has asked the political gladiators in Benue State to focus on issues that affect the people positively rather than dissipating energy on campaign of calumny.
Abounu said that the decision by the Idoma people to reject opposition politics is a time-honoured one taken by them, adding, “David Mark himself had always argued that the people of the zone remain in the mainstream of the nation’s politics and wondered why he now turns round to ask them to do exactly what would affect them politically and economically.”

The deputy governor maintained that the decision of the people of Benue South Senatorial District to embrace the APC is irrevocable, stating that the contest is one that pitches the former Senate President against the people and their desire to be part of the change agenda of the All Progressives Congress.
Moro, who is the Director General of Senator David Mark campaign organisation, stated that at the moment, “We are concerned with the issues of rerun election for Benue South as ordered by the appeal tribunal. A few uninformed persons have engaged in spreading falsehood that 16 years of Mark in the Senate did not benefit the Idoma people. History will judge.

“Mark is not just another senator, he is a man who stood to be counted when it mattered. He presided over the Senate that stabilised democracy through the invocation of Doctrine of Necessity and saved the politics from the precipice.

“I am so confident that the Idoma man and woman who appreciates the worth of Mark will neither betray nor let him down. He is the choice,” former minister stated.
Moro added “Nothing can be farther from the truth, Mark remains the only single individual who has been consistent with scholarship award to students of Benue State since 2005. At the moment no fewer than 20,000 students have been awarded scholarship since inception.

Also in his reaction, a top supporter of David Mark and former Chairman of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Chief Patrick Ogbu, said APC’s call on Mark to withdraw from the race is mere propaganda, insisting that the people of Benue South District are behind Senator Mark and would vote him again as their representative.

“We the people of Benue South otherwise referred to as Zone C are solidly behind Mark, the Idoma kingdom must protect his integrity; after all, his records or past antecedents will speak for him, not minding the external forces against him,” Ogbu stated.

“As far as we know, Senator Mark, chosen by God will go back to complete his tenure at the Senate,” he said.

Speaking at the meeting, the state Chairman of APC, Abba Yaro, alleged that PDP members from the zone are going round to buy Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) from the electorate and advised the people to keep their cards and not allow anyone have access to them.