The newly elected Benue State Working Committee members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were left in confusion on Friday when they arrived at the party’s secretariat on Otukpo Road, Makurdi, to assume office, only to find the premises locked.
This situation arose three weeks after former Governor Samuel Ortom, through his media aide Terver Akase, announced that he had provided one of his personal buildings in the High-Level area of Makurdi for the party’s use. The move followed reports from the caretaker committee that they had been forced out of the original secretariat.
The secretariat in question had been donated to the PDP by former Governor Gabriel Suswam. However, Suswam’s media aide, Mede Bartholomew, had previously denied that the caretaker committee had been evicted, dismissing any such claims as unsubstantiated.
Upon arriving at the locked secretariat, the newly elected PDP Chairman, Ezekiel Adaji, and other officials were unable to gain access to the premises. Efforts to contact party members about the situation were unsuccessful. Adaji eventually reached the caretaker committee’s secretary by phone, only to learn that the committee itself had just discovered the secretariat’s closure.
Speaking to reporters, Adaji said he would consult with relevant stakeholders to decide on the next course of action.
Earlier that Friday, the party had held a state congress where Adaji, a former House of Representatives member for the Otukpo/Ohimini constituency, was elected alongside other state working committee members. Adaji secured 2,482 votes, with 2,900 delegates accredited for the election, as announced by the chairman of the state congress electoral committee, Alhaji Shaba Ibrahim.
Following his victory, Adaji now leads the 27-member State Executive Committee of the PDP. Other key officials elected include State Secretary Comrade Dan Nyikwagh, Publicity Secretary Hon. Tim Nyor, Youth Leader Ibya Terkimbi, and Women Leader Mrs. Alice Albert. The newly elected officials were immediately sworn in by Barr. Friday Ejembi, the legal officer for the caretaker committee.
In his acceptance speech, Adaji expressed his appreciation for the support and vowed to lead with purpose. “Our state needs leadership, and my executives will not disappoint as we work to bring the party back to power,” he stated. Adaji also promised to launch a reconciliation committee aimed at uniting aggrieved party members.
