• Alia to PDP: You’re heartless
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia is in a war-of-words against opposing People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) over the visit of the governor to the Court of Appeal President over the weekend.
Alia had attended a memorial mass for the late son of the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem.
The state Publicity Secretary of PDP Bemgba Iortyom, in a statement which he signed yesterday, questioned why Alia, whom the opposition party is challenging his election before the tribunal, would visit the Court of Appeal , under the guise of memorial mass.
The statement said the PDP did not trust Alia for the visit because he emerged as the candidate of APC primaries through a process that was fraught with irregularities , and his appearance before the eminent jurist who is in charge of appointing Election Tribunal members read meaning .
“Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State views this frolicking of Governor Alia around the Court of Appeal President with deep suspicion for the very notorious fact that the governor is having his election challenged by our great party before the Benue State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal (BGEPT) sitting in Makurdi,’’ he alleged.
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But the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Sir Kulas advised the opposition PDP and former Governor Samuel Ortom to spare Alia of their confusion.
In a statement, which he signed yesterday, Sir Kulas said: “It is quite sad that the former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has taken to a pastime of sponsoring vile attacks on the Governor of Benue State.”
Kulas said a vile attack on the judiciary for allowing Alia to attend a memorial mass for the late son of Hon Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, is unfortunate.
“That the President of the Court of Appeal could be bought by a mere appearance at her son’s memorial service?
“But many Benue people will agree here that since the return of democracy in 1999, the APC-led administration has refused to interfere in the affairs of the judiciary, regarding electoral matters.
“The same Ortom sponsoring negative publicity won his re-election in 2019, and despite his consistent vile attacks on the Buhari-led administration, the law was allowed to take its course.”
“His victory was affirmed by the courts. This would not have happened if it were in the years the PDP held sway at the centre.
“But the APC administration did not interfere and has continued to do so. Or did the party also play a-behind-the-scene–roles to ensure Ortom’s victory was affirmed by the courts?’’ he added.
The memorial service in honour of the late Prince Paeke Shepnaan, the son of the President Court of Appeal, was attended by prominent Nigerians, including four governors, former governors as well as Senators.
Alia was at that event to also represent the Progressive Governors’ Forum (NGF) like his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, who represented NGF. “Are Ortom and his team saying the other governors on the occasion have no cases at the tribunal? The irony of it all is that some of the well-meaning Nigerians that attended the service, are friends of Samuel Ortom, the leader of the PDP in Benue State.
“Should we say Wike and Makinde were also there to frolic with the President of the Appeal Court on behalf of Ortom and the Benue PDP?
“It is laughable how the PDP has shifted its hopes to the Tribunal, even after they were roundly defeated at the polls.
Dongban-Mensem simply on the ill-considered ground that she is the President, Court of Appeal.