Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel and a Peoples Democratic Party presidential aspirant, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, have decried the unfolding political development in Benue State.
Governor Emmanuel and Turaki spoke at the Government House in Uyo, when the governor, along with other members of his cabinet; the Speaker of the state House of Assembly and some elders in the state received Turaki and his campaign team, who visited the state as part of consultations ahead of the PDP presidential primaries.
The governor described the Benue crisis as unfortunate, noting that there was no need crushing the opposition when those in power needed constructive criticisms to avoid complacency or derailing from set target.
Turaki, on his part, said that Nigeria’s democracy was under threat while the unity of the country was also being endangered, adding that Nigerians should not make the mistake of taking things for granted.
He warned that Nigerians needed to be alert and not allow the “clueless APC government” to continue to impact negatively on their lives and determine their future, having used the Benue State incident to destroy the general perception that the country’s democracy had become enriched and deepened.
Turaki, who also blamed the APC government for being inept and unleashing despotism, poverty and insecurity on the people, pointed out that the PDP government in Akwa Ibom State had been working efficiently, “because the leadership is well educated and knowledgeable with integrity, credibility and dynamism.”
He argued that such attributes were what the PDP should consider in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election.
“I know that the party has many qualified aspirants, but it is better to go for the best who possesses these attributes also, and that best candidate is me,” Turaki said.
He promised to put in place a robust security architecture to address the prevailing insecurity in the country, and also galvanise the public service to rejuvenate the economy.
The PDP presidential aspirant also restated his commitment to the principle of restructuring from several different perspectives to ensure equity and justice, stressing that his government would revisit the report of the 2014 National Political Conference in which he participated as a delegate.
Governor Emmanuel, who acknowledged Turaki’s understanding of Nigeria’s developmental challenges, noted that that was a critical step in being able to address such problems.
The governor, who said that the PDP paraded high quality presidential aspirants, pointed out that state governors in the party had decided to ensure that the party’s candidate would emerge from a free and fair primary.
Turaki had earlier been treated to a warm reception at the state secretariat of the PDP in Uyo by the party’s executive committee, elders and delegates to the national convention.
