From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Benue State has congratulated Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, over his successful inauguration into office as the 6th civilian Governor of the state.
The state PDP, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, urged Governor Alia to go ahead and advance the Benue project saying the immediate past Governor Samuel Ortom has laid a strong foundation for him.
The PDP prayed God to sustain him in the wisdom and grace needed for the task he has undertaken.
The statement read in part, “As a party, we have now assumed the station of the main opposition bloc in the state, with all sense of duty.
“We will discharge the responsibilities which fall to that station with utmost sense of patriotism to Benue, Nigeria and humanity at large, in the belief that good governance is a combination of the workings of the government on seat and the activities of a robust opposition to it.
“And our conduct will be guided by a consciousness of our rich culture and heritage as the most successful political party, both at the national level and here in the state, since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.”
The PDP having held mandate of governance in 21 out of the 24 years of the current democratic dispensation since 1999, it can proudly lay claim to almost the entirety of the developmental legacy on ground within this period.
“This is a legacy as was laid from 1999 to 2007 under Governor George Akume, then built upon from 2007 to 2011 under Governor Gabriel Suswam, and consolidated upon in the last 5 years of the administration of Governor Samuel Ortom when it came under the party’s control.
“Our great party is satisfied that the governmental administrations which held sway under its sponsorship have left in place a solid pedestal upon which to further the advancement of the Benue project by the new administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
“From the security architecture painstakingly rigged into place (the Livestock Guards and the Community Volunteer Guards) audaciously signposted in the Anti Open Grazing Law, against monumental daunting odds, to the depth of interventions in the educational, health care and agricultural sectors of the economy, to the the asphalted roads in Makurdi metropolis and elsewhere in the state for ease of travel, to the quality of the official residential and work accommodation bequeathed to the new Governor, PDP has ran its lap of the race and handed over the baton as required under law.”
The party, therefore said it will not flinch from its duty of keeping the new administration on its toes all of the time, the sole purpose being to get it to work maximally within the span of time allowed it.
“And it is our desire that such time span be short as we are presently before the Benue State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, praying it to nullify the victory declared from the 2023 elections in favour of Alia and APC and to award same to us, PDP, and our candidate, Engr. Titus Tyoapine Uba and his Running Mate, Sir John Ngbede.
“While we await the verdict of the courts, we will discharge with all sense of patriotism our duty to the state and her peoples as a robust opposition which has as its sole motivation the good of Benue,” the PDP added.