Chief Patrick Ogbu, the immediate past Chairman of the board of directors of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, a grassroots politician, and director in the Senator David Mark’s re-election campaign organization. In this interview he spoke about external forces against Senator Mark, why these forces are urging and supporting Daniel Onjeh to run against Mark in the coming Benue South senatorial rerun election and how the PDP would bounce back in 2019 among other issues. Excerpts:

By Peter Duru

Why have the Idoma people found it difficult to unite around David Mark in the forthcoming Senate rerun election?

The Idoma are very much united for Senator Mark, but because of the external forces that are intruding in the affairs and politics of Benue South district and that is why you are seeing all this confusion around.

I want to make it clear to you, that our people cannot downgrade their dream just to please the whims and opinion of others. There is no alternative to Senator David Mark.

We agree that the government is for Daniel Onjeh and he Daniel Onjeh is for the government but the people are for David Mark and he David Mark is for the people. As it is today, Mark is the hero of our people anytime and day.

He has continued to project the image of our people and for us he represents our symbol of strength. We are proud of him as the longest serving senator for the sixth time.

Ogbu

So there is no alternative to him and we will demonstrate that in the forthcoming rerun election because nobody can fool our people.

Our people in Benue South are aware of what is going on, the gang up and the fight against our people. The fight today is not the fight of David Mark or Daniel Onjeh but a fight between the Idoma kingdom and others. But we want to sound to these external forces that enough is enough, they should leave us alone and allow us choose who we prefer to represent us at the Senate.

For us, we see our senator as our own governor, since they are not ready to relinquish the governorship position of Benue State to an Idoma man. So for us the senatorial position is our own governorship position. And the general impression among our people is that, if Mark is not there for us the Idomas will lose greatly.

So, you think Daniel Onjeh is being prompted by external forces?

You know them very well, they are the people of Benue North East and North West districts. How many people from Benue South are sponsoring Daniel Onjeh if not the external forces?

So, do you see the alleged external forces manipulating the election against Senator Mark?

Well, if that happens the people will resist it. Do you think our people will abandon a man who has given them a sense of belonging in a state where power will never shift to the Benue South, where an Idoma man cannot be a Chief Judge of the State, the Speaker of the State Assembly and even Vice Chancellor of the state owned university? That will not happen and those urging Onjeh know the truth, but they are looking for how they would perpetually enslave us.

The people of Benue North East and West are obviously crucifying Mark today because of what he has been doing for the people of Benue South.

They have gone as far as using some persons from within to carry out the smear campaign but we are not deterred. History will  be made at the end of the election because we are determined to elect the longest serving hardworking senator in our democratic journey.

But Idoma elders seem to be standing aloof on this?

I want to believe that they have tried but there was no leeway. You certainly cannot force a horse to drink. Forget about the so called defection of some persons from the PDP to the APC in our district, it’s all a faux. They all know where they stand. They are all aware that the APC members are already insulting them, calling them unprintable names for jumping ship and not remaining in their party.

My brother these are people Mark helped. It’s a shame that some persons lack integrity and are shameless. Nigerians are watching and waiting, there is always a payback time, and the people of Benue South will pay them back in their own coin for what they are doing today, just mark my words. Some of them will come back crying. I’m also assuring you that PDP will very soon bounce back because we have learnt our lessons.

So, given the crisis in the PDP, do you think the   party can muster enough support for Mark this weekend?

For your information, PDP is not in disarray, we have serving National Assembly members and Governors. We are not in disarray we are rather trying to correct the mistakes of yesterday. And above all, very soon we are going to have our convention where we will elect new officials. Of course, quote me, quote me. The APC are also fumbling and Nigerians are watching and we are going to capitalize on their mistakes, that is the beauty of democracy and that is what it entails.