I Did Not Step Down For Benue PDP Candidate – Hembe

Gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Benue State Herman Iorwase Hembe has debunked insinuations that he has stepped down or merged with the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) candidate Titus Uba to win tomorrow’s election.

Hembe in a statement said, “It has come to my knowledge that there are radio and some media announcements sponsored by the PDP in Benue, claiming that I, Rt. Hon Herman Iorwase Hembe, the Benue Labour Party gubernatorial candidate have stepped down or merged with PDP which I did not,”

He said nothing in this world would make me “consider joining with the failed PDP, a party in government that owes 64 months of pension arrears, 17 months of civil servants salary arrears, a party that has borrowed and plunged Benue into over 180 billion in debt, a party that refused to pay bailout funds to workers and pensioners, a party that has destroyed the local government system  and continues to deny that tier of government its needed autonomy. An anti-people, anti-farmer, and anti-Benue party and government”

Hembe said the people of Benue have appropriately rejected the PDP at the last polls and will do so again this Saturday when the governorship and state House of assembly polls are held. “What then would be my incentive for identifying with such a lost cause?”

Special adviser to governor Samuel Ortom on media and publicity Terver Akase in a statement had said, two days to the governorship election, the Benue State wing of Labour Party and the governorship candidate of Action People’s Party (APP) have endorsed Uba.

According to him, “In separate ceremonies today at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, the State Chairman of Labour Party, Engr Ibrahim Idoko Otene said the decision of the party to support Uba to win the governorship election was sequel to the collaboration the presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi received from the PDP in the state.

“Engr Otene, who was accompanied by members of the State Working Committee of the Labour Party, stated that their action was a directive from the National Secretariat of the party. According to him, the support Governor Samuel Ortom gave to their presidential candidate had to be reciprocated.”

He said the governor stands for equity, fairness and justice, and even risked his senatorial ambition for the Obi presidential bid.

Benue State Labour Party chairman, also commended Uba for his humility and synergy with other key players, expressing optimism that the PDP guber candidate would serve the state diligently

But the Labour Party candidate differ in his reaction saying that the PDP parades the worst Gubernatorial candidate in Benue state and exiting governor who has performed abysmally for nearly eight years.

“Labour Party has nothing to do with Benue PDP or outgoing Governor Ortom and would never contemplate any such relationship. House of Assembly candidates of our party too have not, and will not step down for any party.