Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, played any role in the emergence of Chief Mike Aondoakaa as the party’s governorship candidate.
The party said allegations linking Akume to Aondoakaa’s emergence were false and politically motivated, insisting that the former Attorney-General emerged through the PDP’s internal democratic process.
In a statement issued by the Benue PDP Publicity Secretary, Bright Yima Antyo, the party alleged that loyalists of Governor Hyacinth Alia sponsored a publication in Sahara Reporters claiming that Akume was backing the PDP governorship candidate.
The opposition party described the report as misleading and an attempt to undermine the credibility of the PDP, which it said has a long-standing democratic tradition.
> “To suggest that Chief Aondoakaa emerged as PDP’s governorship candidate through the influence of Senator George Akume is to insult every leader, stakeholder and member of the PDP in Benue State who participated in the process that produced the governorship candidate among many others. Chief Aondoakaa did not emerge through the sponsorship of Senator Akume or any external political actor. He emerged through the internal democratic processes of the PDP.”
The party maintained that Senator Akume, considering his current position and responsibilities as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, would not abandon his official duties to influence the affairs of another political party.
The PDP further rejected allegations that the SGF was secretly sponsoring or supporting its governorship candidate, stressing that the recent influx of politicians into the party was the result of defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), rather than external sponsorship.
The statement also took a swipe at the APC-led administration in Benue State, accusing it of focusing on propaganda instead of delivering meaningful development projects.
According to the party, the state government has abandoned critical projects while engaging in what it described as endless political propaganda.
It specifically criticised the ongoing underpass project in Makurdi, alleging that the project has become synonymous with flooding and has continued to generate concerns among residents.
The PDP argued that the growing public criticism of the underpass project reflects what it described as the poor performance of the current administration in the state.
