Benue South Rerun: Onjeh Is The Right Candidate For The Times – Chief Audu Ogbe

By John Idu

The Minister Of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe has debunked the rumour making the round that he is not in support of his party candidate in the February 13 rerun election in the Benue South Senatorial District.

He stated this when IPN News caught up with him in Berlin Germany. According to the Agric Minister, ‘there is nothing further from the truth for anyone to insinuate that Comrade Daniel Onjeh does not have my full support. In fact, I support him wholeheartedly. I believe in him. He is the right fit for Zone C at this time. Of the two candidates, Onjeh is the only one that would be admitted to the decision-making organs of the Senate led by his party. With our joint efforts, we will take our land to greater height’

He noted that though Senator David Mark tried his best, it is time to go a different direction because of the seismic change in the country’s political direction. Voting Onjeh would ensure that Zone C change with the times. David Mark is in the past while Onjeh is the present. He is a member of the ruling APC. He would provide yet another voice for Zone C within the decision-making organs of the government. It is not fair for anyone to request Zone C to follow him into the opposition because of his personal ambition and without any regard to the interest of Zone C. Even David Mark recognised this fact when he never failed to mention that it was dangerous for a zone in the minority like ours to be in the opposition.

He called on Zone C to come out massively to vote in Onjeh come February 13.2016 to produce a Senator within the APC.

On the question of whether he was nominated by Senator David Mark for the Office of the Chairman of the PDP as alleged by Comrade Abba Moro in his widely circulated statement to the press. He stated categorically that he was not nominated at all by David Mark. The nomination was done by Atiku Abubakar, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, with the support of the then Benue State Government led by Senator George Akume. There is no truth to that statement at all he retorted.

When contacted a former PDP chieftain who was privy to these events but does not want his name in print, told IPN News that Chief Audu version of events is the truth. He said emphatically that David Mark was in exile when PDP was formed.

He added it was Chief Audu Ogbe, John Igomu, Eche Egwa and Bartholomew Oche who put PDP together in Idomaland. That even when the party was finally launched in September 1998, all the Idoma delegates numbering 154 persons had dinner in Audu Ogbe’s house in Zone 4 behind Sheraton Hotel Abuja.

He expressed surprise that Moro could claim such a thing with an Audu Ogbe who was far Senator’s Mark senior in the PDP. He hoped Moro won’t go further to say it was David Mark that made Chief Audu Ogbe Minister in 1982 and Minister now under Buhari.

He noted that Comrade Moro is killing the ambition of David Mark of returning to the Senate by portraying him as the ‘god’ who invented Idoma land and any person of significance in Idoma land in the absence of the usual APA State issue which they have milked all these years.

With Additional Reporting By Louisa Kwagh