Toryila KAJO, Makurdi

A cross section of Benue people thronged the streets of Makurdi the Benue state capital in jubilation over the decision of the Apex Court Abuja that upheld the victory of Governor Samuel Ortom as the winner of the April 2015 governorship election in the state.
Youths, Okada riders, members of the All Progressive Congress, market women and other stakeholders formed the crowd at beer parks while discussing the victory of Governor Samuel Ortom whose victory was threatened by the case filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Terhemen Tarzoor challenging the nomination of Samuel Ortom by his party, the APC.
Those who spoke in Makurdi including former Nigeria Envoy to Ivory Coast, Ambassador Dennis Ukume said the victory of governor Samuel Ortom right at the poll was devine such that the PDP governorship candidate should not have wasted his time in challenging it at any court of law and advised Dr. Tarzoor to join hand with the APC administration to foster development for the good of the state.
Ambassador Ukume stressed the need for Benue people not to place party affiliation above the interest of the generality of the citizenry and hoped that now that the distraction was over, the governor will carry all willing souls around irrespective of party device; saying that only positive criticism will make governor Ortom to remain on track in the course of administering the affairs of the state in the next four years.
In his remarks, President General of Masev, Ihyarev, Nongov Development Association (Minda), Mr. Iorwase Ahire described the judgement as sound but said there was no ‘Victor no vanquish’ hence both governor Samuel Ortom and Dr. Terhemen Tarzoor are all from the same axis and urged Tarzoor to see Ortom as and hence the need to team up with him for the development of the area and the state in general.
He said the Minda leadership is at the moment putting themselves together in order to ensure that harmony prevails between them and warned against any individual or group fanning embers of discord which he noted is detrimental to the progress of the state.
On his part, the State Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu described the victory as affirmation that Benue people actually gave their mandate to Governor Samuel Ortom at the polls.
“Right from the lower courts, we knew that Tarzoor had no case. We wondered why some elders in the state had continued to incite him to continue with the matter to Supreme Court”. Abounu said.
According to the Deputy Governor, the whole action was diversion and advised the opposition to rather come and join hands with government to move the state forward through purposeful development which the state have been yearning for over the years.
Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abu King Shuluwa in his reaction pointed out that as an elder of the party and giving his experience, Governor Samuel Ortom had no case in court as affirmed by the Supreme Court since the ground of nomination Tarzoor was challenging was a party affairs.
The former member of Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) recalled that the immediate past Governor, Gabriel Suswam and the party (PDP) had warned its members against embarking on any litigation governor Samuel Ortom and himself (Suswam) had withdrawn his case against the election of Chief Barnabas Gemade as senator representing Benue North East the last year’s general election.
“When Tarzoor lost his case at the Tribunal and the Appeal Court, then one expects that he will quietly stop and not go to Supreme Court. But those that encouraged him to go to Supreme Court were those that were out to ‘chop his money’. In that case, lawyers are also out to make their money hence the ill advice for Tarzoor to proceed to the Apex Court”, he said