From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State said it had uncovered plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its state Governorship Candidate, Emmanuel Jime to blackmail 1st and 2nd class traditional rulers in the state before President Muhammadu Buhari in order to forcefully secure their support towards the forthcoming polls.
The PDP in a Statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary &
Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee,
Benue PDP State Campaign Organisation, 2019, Bemgba Iortyom, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said Jime had perfected plans to blackmail royal father to Aso Rock with fake Abuja land allocation.
Mr Iortyom explained that the plot, as revealed, involves claims to be made by Jime that he has given to the royal fathers land allocations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, following which a list of the beneficiaries is to be taken to the President.
He said the listed beneficiaries, will then be required by the presidency to reciprocate the purported good gesture of land allocations by mobilising their subjects in support of APC at the 2019 polls.
He recalled that a few days back, Jime, on his social media platform, had claimed that he has secured land allocations for traditional rulers in Benue State and that he will be making available documents to those allocations to the beneficiary royal fathers.
“But on his visits to a number of local governmemt areas, Jime failed to make available a single land allocation paper to any traditional ruler, and investigations have revealed that the APC guber candidate’s claims were only the initial steps in the execution of a nefarious blackmail plot against Benue royal fathers.
He contended that even if he did truly secure land allocation gifts to the royal fathers, as he so claimed, it is morally incorrect, dishonourable and desperately self-seeking for him to have made it public, particularly at time he is running in an election.
He also queried why it took him so long to make available to the beneficiaries a gift he claims to have secured for them while he was still a member of the House of Representatives a good number of years back.
The PDP Publicity Secretary said the Benue PDP hereby commends the courageous decision of the royal fathers so far to distance themselves from any such ‘Greek gift’, if at all it does come.
“The party acknowledges that even today a prominent royal father in the state had made it clear that they, traditional rulers will not be part of any such land-for-support scheme being advertised by the APC Benue gubernatorial candidate.
“The party further encourages all traditional rulers in the state to be wary of entering into questionable arrangements with desperate politicians, particularly at this period of the build up to the 2019 elections.
“Benue PDP further reminds the royal fathers of the vantage position occupied by the traditional leadership institution and the revered role it is required to play towards the preservation of our cultural identity and norms as African people, as well as the maintenance of peace and harmony in our communities.
