By Peter Duru
MAKURDI—Benue State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been hit by exodus of its leading members sparked by the disenchantment that trailed the recently held congresses and House of Assembly primaries.

Addressing newsmen on their decision to quit the party as a result of what they described as brazen rape of democracy in the state, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Constituency, Mr. Mzena Iho, declared that he had lost confidence in the party and the electoral processes.

Flanked by another federal lawmaker representing Buruku Federal Constituency, Mr. Orker Jev, and other state Assembly aspirants, Iho narrated how the Police in the state arrested him hours to the Assembly primaries pointing out that he was only informed later by the Police that he was detained for his own safety after the entire process had been manipulated.

Iho who is the past Speaker of the state Assembly lamented that the party he worked so hard to build in the state has been derailed because of the inordinate ambition of a few stressing that he was withdrawing from the PDP electoral process because he has lost confidence in the party.

He said: “My decision to withdraw is because I no longer have confidence in  the process again. There is no assurance that it would be free and fair given that the last ward congress was a total sham as the people were denied their rights of franchise.”

Abuja moitoring team compromised

On his part Mr. Jev described the PDP primaries in the state as simply shameful and unacceptable, stating that officials of the party from Abuja who supervised the process were compromised and failed to ensure the transparent conduct of the exercise.

Jev said: “What happened in Buruku on the 28th of December 2010 in the PDP congress was simply shameful and unacceptable. All attempts to rectify the shame fell on deaf ears as the highly compromised PDP officials from Abuja simply packed their bags and left Plaza Hotel where they had stayed throughout to oversee the manufacture of congress results.

“If the 28th December congress was a sham, then what happened yesterday 3rd January was an attempted rape of democracy.”

He informed of how names of ward officials of the party in Buruku were substituted with names of unknown persons and persons who failed at the congresses yet officials conducting the polls turned down the protests by the people.

He further intimated of how heavily armed Police men and soldiers were used to intimidate party faithfuls in Buruku contrary to democratic norms.

He stressed that elections should never be a do or die affair hence his decision to withdraw from the process while he consults with his people on the way forward and the next line of action.