2027: Ex- AGF Aondoakaa Emerges Benue PDP Consensus Guber Candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Benue State chapter has said former attorney-general and minister of Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN), has emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 elections.

A statement issued yesterday by Benue PDP state publicity secretary, Bright Yima Antyo, said Aondoakaa emerged ahead of a pool of 11 aspirants through a consensus process, “accepted and affirmed by all of his co-contestants.”

According to the statement, “In an exercise which spanned a period of over three weeks, the leadership of the party sifted through the pool of aspirants, adopting meticulous consultations and deliberations, to arrive at their decision.”

Benue PDP leader and former governor of the state, Chief Samuel Ortom; Senate minority leader,  Patrick Abba Moro, state chairman of the party, Rt. Hon. Ezekiel Adaji, and the state Exco, together with the party’s State Assembly Caucus, the leadership of the G-14 and G-9 group of elders, as well as selected stakeholders, all participated in the process.”

The emergence of Chief Aondoakaa was arrived at by unanimous decision, and accepted by all of his 10 co-contestants, each of whom spoke in affirmation of the process and its outcome.”

The statement said former commissioner of Education in the state, and aspirant in the same election in 2023, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, while observing that the issue of zoning, “had not gone as he expected, nevertheless, accepted the process and pledged his support for the candidate.”

Aspirant in 2023 and a two-term member of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dominic Ucha accepted the outcome of the consensus process, congratulating the candidate and pledging his support to ensure the party wins in the coming polls.

Former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Revd. Tor Uja, former Executive Chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), Dr Tersoo Loko, Legal Luminary, Prof. Sebastine Hon, SAN, International Security Consultant, Dr Oyije Ogbenjua, Rtd. Naval Commander Ode Ojowu; International Engineering Consultant, Engr. Tor Tiv Ato; Business mogul, Simon Ater, and former State Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Benue State, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, Esq., all accepted the emergence of the former Nigerian Chief lawmaker, and pledged to work with him to ensure victory for the party come 2027,” the statement said.  ‎

‎In separate remarks, Ortom and Abba Moro both hailed the aspirants’ sense of solidarity, selflessness, and loyalty to the party. ‎ Ortom charged the aspirants to maintain the spirit and at all times place the interests of the state paramount over all other considerations, with the cardinal objective of ousting the incumbent administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia from power at the 2027 elections. ‎

‎The former Governor enjoined the new PDP gubernatorial candidate to ensure that he carries all his co-aspirants along in the composition of his campaign structures and enlist their partnership towards winning the coming polls. ‎ ‎

The Senate Minority Leader, on his part, expressed satisfaction with the process, which he described as necessary, though difficult, to fulfil the sacred duty of providing leadership for the people of Benue State. ‎ ‎

He stressed that PDP faithful, and indeed Benue people, must embrace the mission to rescue the state.  ‎ ‎Chief Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, in his acceptance speech, pledged to move quickly to close ranks within the party and bind all its membership and leadership structures into a potent force that will flush out the Alia administration from power at the coming elections.