PDP sets up caretaker panel in Benue

Amid the crisis that bedeviled the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s national leadership on Wednesday set up a 17-member committee to run the chapter’s affairs.

It gave the committee headed by AVM Napoleon Bali, 90 days to organise a congress that would elect a new executive for the party in the state.

National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, while inaugurating the committee at the party’s National Secretariat, in Abuja, charged members to avoid sentiments in the discharge of their duties.

Damagum said, “Your duty is simple to usher in a new executive during this ongoing Congress.This is not an easy task, you must avoid sentiments, selfishness and taking all even though you come from various interests.

He ask members of the party to put the interest of the party above other interests pointing out that “Until you have a party in Benue, you will not be able to achieve in Benue.

“We have a dounting task.We all know the crisis there, that led to our bad outing during the last election and I am sure we should use this opportunity and you to correct that anormaly that made us lose that state which is predominantly a PDP state.”

He expressed happiness the selection of the Chairman of the committee and stressed that “The only way to succeed is through getting the necessary support, the Chairman is going to Benue to help you achieve reconciliation, progress that has so far been retarded within the party in Benue.

“You must work for an inclusive executive for the state. In any party you have the good and the bad, you must carry all along, everyone is important.”

Bali, in an interview shortly after the inauguration, promised that the committee will work as a team to restore PDP to its pride of place in Benue State.

He said, “We are going to work as a team and I want to tell Benue People is that by the grace of God, PDP is coming back and we are going to take over the leadership of Benue state in 2027.

“There are quite a lot of issues in Benue state. The former governor Samuel Ortom was suspended by his ward and the same with former governor Suswam and these are the people you were supposed to work with and reconcile.

“As a retired general, we are well thought on conflict management. It is not a question of Ortom or Suswan, but by the grace of God, I together with all these members of this committee are going to unite them.

“Conflict management is just a matter of give and take, we shall look at the issues and address the issues.

“If we cannot address, can somebody take some and leave some? The is what conflict management is all about.

“So, I can assure you that we are going to unite all the big names and people of PDP in Benue state. So I can assure you that they will all come on board.

“So if they are listening to me, I am calling on all of them to give us all the necessary cooperation so that we will do our job without fear of favour.

“I strongly believe that they are very reasonable people and seasoned Nigerians, they will listen to us and we work with them to takeover the leadership of the state.”

In response to a question on whether the 90 days time line for the committee to conclude it’s assignment, Bali said, “We will look at the task ahead, look at the issues and definitely if we cannot make in 90 days, we will make sure that we will let the originating authority know.

“If we need more time, I believe that the National Working Committee will give us more time but I believe strongly that with the issues that I have informally heard, we should be able to resolve them within 90 days.”