BY OCHANYAN OCHE/Makurdi
Incumbent Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom on Monday emerged winner of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue.
In the same vein, Director General Nigeria Export Protection Zone Authority, (NEPZA), Barr. Emmanuel Jime was unanimously adopted as the gubernatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Benue State for the 2019 general election.
Ortom polled a total of 2210 votes to defeat his closest contender, Surv. John Tondo who polled a distant 475 votes in the primary which held at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.
Others contestants at the primary with Ortom and Tondo included former COREN Registrar, Engr. Felix Atume and former NAFDAC boss, Dr. Paul Orhii who scored 44 votes and 10 votes respectively.
As soon as it was obvious that the Governor was winning the election, Tondo who all the while had been keenly watching the exercise stood to his feet, walked up to Ortom and congratulated him.
The mammoth crowd also went into a frenzy of jubilation to celebrate the winner but had to be calmed down by the electoral committee to allow the vote counting continue.
In her address, Chairman, PDP electoral Committee for the state, Hajia Zainab Maina who announced the results declared Ortom winner of the primary and governorship candidate of the Party for the 2019 general elections.
She explained that seven aspirants went into the race out of which three stepped down at the last minutes leaving four aspirants who contested the primary.
In his acceptance speech, the visibly elated Governor Ortom thanked all those who stood by him to ensure he came out victorious in the primary and promised to carry everyone along.
On the other hand, Jime emerged the standard flag bearer of the party through a consensus and affirmative votes from other aspirants, party leaders and delegates after almost two days of deliberations and political horse trading.
Five aspirants including Akange Audu, Mike Mku, Asema Achadu, Titus Zam and Benjamin Adanyi were initially billed to slug it out at the primary election but that was later dropped as leaders of the party eventually agreed for the party to produce a consensus candidate.
All the other four aspirants, after a long deliberation, agreed to withdraw from the contest and mandated one of them, Akange Audu to announce their decision.
Audu while announcing their decision to step down for Jime said they were doing so in view of the commitment and good leadership style of the leader of the party in the state, Sen. George Akume.
“We have unanimously agreed to concede to Emmanuel Jime and we would give all our support to him to ensure his victory at the polls come 2019”, Audu stated.
In his remark, leader of the party in the state, Senator George Akume, thanked the aspirants for the unanimous decision assuring that the party will be victorious in next year’s general elections.
Earlier in his speech, Chairman Electoral Committee for Benue APC governorship election, Mr. Mutiu Are commanded the aspirants, State party leaders and the delegates for conducting them in an orderly manner which resulted in a peaceful and transparent process of the primary.
Jime in his acceptance speech stated that the consensus decision was a privilege and a mandate for him to free Benue from the shackles of underdevelopment.
He however called al stakeholders of the party to be united posting that with unity, they would be able to succeed in the rescue mission for the growth and betterment of the state.
“My journey has just began and I will embark on campaign of issues not of insult, violence and desperation because service to the people is not by force.”