Benue PDP Crisis Deepens As Newly Elected Officials Blocked From Entering Secretariat

The crisis rocking the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has degenerated to a disturbing dimension as the newly inaugurated State Working Committee, (SWC), of the party, was on Thursday denied access to the state secretariat of the party.

The new officials who drove in a convoy to receive handover notes from the outgone caretaker State Working Committee (SWC) met a shocker of their life as they were blocked from entering the secretariat.

The secretariat building which is located on No.1 Ochagu Lawani Street along Makurdi-Otukpo road had been the state headquarters of the party for several years.

The edifice is said to be owned by the one-time governor of the state, Senator Gabriel Suswam, who reportedly rented it out to the party.

When the new party leadership arrived at the secretariat to receive handover notes and commence routine administrative exercises ahead of today’s local government elections, the secretariat was securely locked.

The State Chairman, Rt. Hon. Ezekiel Adaji made efforts to contact those who should be in a position to know why the secretariat was locked, but all efforts proved abortive.

The state PDP chairman eventually got the Caretaker Secretary on the phone, but the Secretary said they also got information that the Secretariat was under lock and key, hence the absence of members of the Caretaker State Working Committee at the Secretariat.

Speaking to newsmen, Hon. Adaji said he would consult with relevant stakeholders on the next line of action.

On how prepared is the PDP for today’s local government elections, Adaji said, “We are fully prepared and you know Benue is a PDP state, the man in the government house is just a caretaker and we have come prepared to push him out of the place and take over”.