Atiku pledges to restore peace in Benue

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to restore security and peace to Benue State if elected in the February 25 election.

Atiku made the pledge on Monday during a campaign rally in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

The presidential candidate, who sympathised with the Benue people over the loss of lives in the past eight years occasioned by the armed invasion, assured that his government when voted into power would return peace to the state.

“I promise you that if you elect me as your president just like I did in 2001, I came to Benue and made the Fulani to sign the peace accord with their brothers Tiv; I will make sure that peace returns to Benue State,” he said.

He pledged to create jobs for young people and rebuild infrastructure in the state, stressing that the experiences garnered during his reign as PDP vice president of the country would be brought to bear.

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Earlier, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Titus Uba, appealed to the party leadership to ensure that the internal crisis between it and the G-5 governors is resolved urgently.

A former senate president, David Mark, and all three PDP senators from Benue State among other top state party officials attended the rally.

But Governor Samuel Ortom and his deputy, Benson Abounu, were absent.

Ortom is a member of the G-5 governors, who had vowed not work for Atiku unless the party’s national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, resigns his position.

Meanwhile, Ayu has appealed to Ortom to come back to the PDP main fold because he has nowhere else to go.

The PDP national chairman said Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, another G-5 member, had visited his home after the governor’s preferred governorship aspirant lost his bid at a rerun primary election, held following the death of the candidate, whom Ikpeazu preferred as his successor.

Ayu said, “We have resolved problems with Governor Ikpeazu and he is coming back. Two days ago, he was in my house because his candidate lost the primary.”