Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Immediate past Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial primaries for Benue South Senatorial District.
In the same vein, a former Chairman of Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Mrs. Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, has also defeated two others to emerge winner of the Benue North East Senatorial district election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP primary election which was initially declared inconclusive because three of the nine local government areas that make up the senatorial districts had not voted, was later concluded, on Sunday night, at the Lawn Tennis Court of the Aper Aku Stadium.
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Moro, who contested with Hon. Joe Ojobo and Chief Mike Okibe Onoja, polled a total of 461 votes to beat his opponents who polled 365 and 165 votes, respectively.
It could be recalled that the primary which was initially scheduled to him on October 2, this year was moved from Otukpo to Makurdi due to complaints about alleged falsification of delegates lists.
But after much effort in Makurdi on October 5, this year, the primary was declared inconclusive because three local governments of Otukpo, Ohimini and Okpowku did not vote.
And in a bid to beat INEC’s deadline for submission of lists of candidates by political parties the primaries was held on Sunday night, in Makurdi, and produced Moro as the overall winner.
Declaring the results of the primary, secretary of the senatorial primaries, Soji Akinwuade declared Moro of the primary and the candidate of the party for the senatorial election.
Akinwuade also returned Sen. David Mark’s cousin and Deputy Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly. Egli Johnson Ahubi as House of Representative candidate for Otukpo/Ohimini constituency having polled 133 votes to defeat the incumbent, Ezekiel Adaji who garnered 77 votes while Blessing Onuh, who is also a daughter to Mark got no vote.
Similarly, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Media, Francis Ottah Agbo, beat another incumbent. Hon. Hassan Saleh, for the Okpokwu/Ado/Ogbadibo Federal constituency by 205 to 106 votes.
Speaking with newsmen after his emergence, the visibly elated Moro described his victory as a ‘hard fought’ one, noting those who contested against him, had the pedigree to fly the party’s flag for the seat.
The former Minister who posited that he is properly positioned to represent the zone at the senate come 2019 promised that his representative posture for the zone will not be in vain.
On her part, Adzape-Orubibi who is the first woman to become the senatorial candidate of any party in Benue State told newsmen that if she eventually wins the seat, she would not be a sleeping senator but one that would be up and doing to fight for the needs of her people.