BENUE GUBER POLLS: AKURE BERATES UNONGO OVER STATEMENT

By NBF News

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Benue State, Chief Sunday Akure has expressed shock over a comment credited to Second Republic minister of steel development, Wantaregh Paul Unongo that the ruling party did not win the governorship election in the state.

Akure who stressed that the elections were won and lost in spite of the anti-party activities perpetrated by some disloyal PDP chieftains like Unongo, insisted that the PDP won the governorship election, accusing the former minister of steel of working against the PDP in all the elections even though he pretended to be a chieftain of the party.

'Obviously aware that the PDP will sanction him for anti-party activities, the former minister has hurriedly gone to town with his most unfortunate statements to twist the facts before some undiscerning members of the Benue public.'

Akure pointed out that Unongo had, by the utterances, brought out his dark political side which had in turn exposed him as an opportunistic politician who would cheer and applaud so long as his price was paid.

'For the four years his (Unongo's) wife, Mrs. Ntol Unongo served the Suswam administration as commissioner, Dr. Suswam was the best governor Benue ever had. In all political gatherings around Benue, he (Unongo) would insist on making long speeches in which he paid glowing tributes to the Suswam administration.' The PDP elder maintained that the former minister suddenly found fault with the Suswam administration when his wife was relieved of her appointment in the aftermath of the April 26 polls, stressing that such attitude was self-serving and unstatesmanly.

He, however, noted that Unongo should strive to do the honourable thing by resigning from the PDP and officially declaring for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) if he wished to fight the cause of the opposition party, saying, 'it is deceptive for him to remain in the PDP while making such unguarded and flippant comments about the leader of the party in the state.

Akure who posited that Unongo's last minute support for the ACN was purely because his nephew, Prof. Steve Ugbah emerged as the candidate of the party described the action as nepotism of the highest order. He averred that if Unongo or any other person felt the elections in the state were rigged, he must exercise restraint as a democrat and allow the tribunal adjudicate on the petition or volunteer any evidence to the tribunal.