From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Benue State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has promised to support the Labour Party (LP) to ensure it wins all it’s elections in the state.
Chairman of the SDP Engr John Enemari who gave the promise at a news conference on Monday also directed all DDP party chairmen, its executives at the 276 electoral wards, the 23 local government area councils as well as all members of the SDP in the state to have thrown their weight behind the LP for good governance and to revamp the socioeconomic fortunes of the Benue people.
He further urged members of his executives across the three senatorial districts and council wards in the state to go and build Labour Party and support its candidates.
While lauding the developmental strides of the governorship candidate of the LP, Herman Hembe at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly in the last 16 years, Enemari said it was for that reason that his Party, the SDP has decided to support the LP in 2023.
“The man that is coming is a young man that has done very well in his constituency. This is his fourth time at the National Assembly. Once you mention his name they will tell you, they know him.
“My people are calling me, chairman, where do you want us to go. I said look, wait, I met with him (Hembe) and we spoke, so my people we are going to work with him.
Giving reasons why the SDP could not field candidates for the forthcoming general elections, the SDP state chairman explained that the crisis at the National level has destabilised everything in all the states of the federation which created crisis, factions which had affected the party.
“We cannot continue to suffer for them at the national office particularly Benue SDP suffered for the party in 2018/2019. The national office raked in close to one hundred million naira from Benue SDP, in 2018, but no one kobo was sent to us to work for the party.
“And by the section 72(2), of the party constitution, we were supposed to get not less than 75 million naira from the sales of forms, but these people in Abuja sat on it.
“In a party if you don’t win the election, what do you do? Now they are in court, let them continue. Benue is not a revenue-yielding state for them.” Benue now needs good governance. We cannot remain idle, we must work with those with integrity to deliver the state.”
Enemari, who noted that he consulted with all the major political parties in the state before deciding to pitch tent with the LP, maintained that all that his party wants is good governance for the state.
I consulted with all other parties the APC, PDP but that didn’t work. Since we did not have a governorship candidate, we have decided to give our full support and ensure Labour Party wins in Benue state and salvage the state from the infrastructural deficit and failed promises.
He said the state needs somebody irrespective of where he comes from that has a fear of God and has a love for the down-trodden so that Benue can move forward, stressing that all the states that were created before or at the same time with Benue have moved forward and are doing well.
Responding, senior legislative aid to Rt Hon Herman Hembe, Dr Jude Nyor, who welcomed the development, said SDP is a good party that understands where the country is moving, he expressed happiness and called on others who are out there to join the Labour Party as it is the party that can take Benue out of the woods, rebuild it and make it great again.