2027: Reps member, Ojotu lauds Gov Alia, APC nat’l leadership over peaceful primaries in Benue  

From Attah Ede, Makurdi 

Member of the Federal House of Representatives for Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency, Pastor Ojotu Ojema, has commended Benue State Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia and the national leadership of the  ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the  peaceful conduct of the ongoing primaries of the  party in the State.

Pastor Ojema maintained that  the outcome of the primaries so far,  reflects the wishes and aspirations of party members.

He gave the  commendation while speaking with journalists at the APC Secretariat in Makurdi during the presidential primary election, Saturday.

The Rep member who is also seeking re-election in the 2027 general elections, said the conduct of the exercises across the state marked a significant departure from the violence often associated with party primaries in Nigeria.

According to him, the process began last week with the House of Representatives primaries, followed by Senate, House of Assembly and governorship elections before culminating in the presidential primary and had been peaceful and quite orderly.

The federal  lawmaker noted that despite the scale of the exercise, there had been no reports of violence, ballot snatching or destruction of property all through the elections.

“In the history of primary elections, this is the first time an election of this magnitude will be conducted in this state without hearing that somebody’s head was broken. We are not even talking about death.

“Everywhere is quite peaceful. People are going about very happy and the happiness and the excitement you are seeing on the faces of the people is a clear indication that the outcome of the elections is exactly the desire, the aspiration, and the yearnings of the people.”

The peaceful atmosphere and excitement among party supporters showed that the outcomes of the elections aligned with their desires and aspirations.

“APC remain a dominant political force in Benue State and  securing the party’s ticket already placed candidates close to victory in the general election”, Ojema added.

He compared the APC primaries with that of the opposition parties in the state which he said were crises ridden, and marked by incidents of ballot snatching and disruption in their internal processes.

“I must commend the leadership of Governor Hyacinth Alia, for ensuring smooth party administration and peaceful conduct of the primaries.

“Furthermore, am confidence that, in my own political strength, the turnout and support I have received in my constituency during the primaries is a testimony that during the main election, the entire communities under Apa/Agatu will also troop out en masse to vote for me again”, he alluded.

Speaking on the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ojotu dismissed suggestions that the party could pose a threat to APC and his ambition in the 2027 elections, citing internal divisions within the opposition PDP.

He recalled that he was formerly elected on the platform of the PDP before defecting to the APC due to unresolved issues within the party

saying many PDP structures in his constituency moved with him to the APC, strengthening the ruling party’s chances ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said “When I left PDP, I left with all the structures of the PDP in my Constituency. So when you put that force and join the force of the APC, as the ruling party on ground, I don’t see how anybody can withstand that.”