By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has vehemently dismissed Senator Abba Moro’s characterization of the October 5 Local Government election as a “charade”, describing the act as not only mischievous but also unfounded as well as an attempt to undermine the democratic process.
Chief Press Secretary to the Benue governor, Tersoo Kula, who was reacting to Moro’s motion on the floor of the Senate during plenary calling for suspension of federal allocation to Local Councils in Benue State, described the motion as not only misguided but also a stark display of political opportunism.
Kula in a statement Friday in Makurdi, alleged that Moro’s attempt to paint the election as a sham is rooted in a known personal vendetta, rather than a genuine concern for the process, explaining that the election was conducted under the oversight of BSIEC and widely recognized as credible and violent free.
He recalled that Moro’s rhetoric appeared to be a projection of his past failure, particularly during the tragic recruitment when he held sway as Internal Affairs minister which exercise resulted in chaos and loss of lives, describing as ironic while he would draw parallels to such a disaster when casting aspersions on a successful electoral process.
The chief press secretary said the collective resolve of the three senators from Benue State on the matter is viewd as deliberate indication to discredit the people oriented administration of the governor rather than addressing the needs and concerns of their constituents as claimed, recalling that it is not the first time Moro and his colleagues have sought to undermine the governor.
Kula also described as treacherous Moro’s consistent attempts to destabilize governance in the state, adding that his antics has equally revealed a deeper agenda confirming insinuations of an Abuja- based conspiracy aimed at inciting crisis in the state, stating that his action has further substantiated the notion alleged to be plan B after failure of the initial strategy.
He further explained that the video used by the senator to support his claim is only orchestrated with the intent to sow seeds of discord and to undermine the integrity of the electoral process in the state with the aim to discredit the state government, advising Moro to stop spreading rumors capable of causing disservice to Benue people who genuinely seek progress and accountability from their leaders.
The chief press secretary, who urged senator Moro and his colleagues supporting him to tender unreserved apologies to their constituents for failure to complement efforts of governor Alia by contributing their quota to good governance instead of sabotaging Government efforts, argued that Moro’s claims driven by political motivations rather than commitment to welfare of Benue people lacked merits and be disregarded.
He reaffirmed Governor Alia’s commitment to his social contract with the Benue citizens, insisting that no amount of political shenanigan will undermine progress made so far, urging senator Moro and his allies to reassess their priorities with the aim of working in collaboration with Governor Alia for a greater Benue.
