Benue lawmaker, Council chairman exchanges blow over councillorship candidate

Caution was thrown to the wind last Thursday as the member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Ushobgo state constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Abbas Akoso and the Caretaker Committee chairman of Ushongo Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Bemsen Agugu engaged themselves in a physical combat during a PDP stakeholders meeting in Makurdi the state capital.

The Daily Times gathered that PDP stakeholders converged at the Balcony Park and Garden along Abu King Shuluwa road, Makurdi that fateful Thursday to brainstorm and arrive at a consensus councillorship candidate in all the wards ahead of party primaries which was held last Friday across the state.
 According to sources, trouble started when the issue of who becomes the councillorship flag bearer from Mbaanyam council ward where Abbas Akoso, a member representing Ushongu State constituency in the Benue State House of assembly comes from ahead of March 2020 council polls to be conducted by the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission.

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It was further gathered that PDP leaders from Ushongo Local Government including the PDP Zonal National Assistant Secretary, Maurice Tsav, the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, PDP chairman in Ushongu Local Government Area, Mr. Achia Agashi and the Caretaker Committee chairman of the local government, Mr. Bemsen Agugu as well as the Hon. Akoso were thinking alike as a PDP family.
According to findings, Iortyom in his presentation called for fairness to arrive at a consensus councillorship candidate, but Hon. Akoso was said to have risen up and requested that at his Mbaanyam council ward, the right thing must be done in arriving at a candidate, with a threat not to accept anything short of it.
The lawmaker’s position was said to have angered stakeholders especially the council chairman, Mr. Agugu who  cautioned him but it later resulted to physical blows as political thugs were said to have taken advantage of the confusion and beaten Akoso to pulp.
Personal Assistant on Media to the state lawmaker, Mr. Michael Shawon in statement, accused the council chairman of allegedly “raising his voice to insult and attack Akoso, tearing off his clothes including inner vest. He sustained a wound on the right leg,” he stated. 
Reacting to the development, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom in a statement cautioned media handlers of both leaders and their teeming supporters against escalating the situation through promoting fake news.
“There was indeed a disagreement between the both leaders at a meeting of stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party from Ushongo on Thursday 6th February, 2020 at a location in Makurdi.”
According to him, in attendance at the meeting were North-Central Zonal Secretary of the PDP, Maurice Tsav; Benue PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom; Ushongo PDP LG Chairman, Achia Agashi; Benue State Assembly member, Abbas Akoso; and Ushongo Caretaker Chairman, Bemsen Agugu.
Bemgba stated that the meeting was pursuant to logistical and sundry preparations towards the PDP Ward congresses scheduled to hold that day across Benue State to nominate Councillorship candidates of the party to run in the March 2020 Council polls in the state.
“A disagreement ensued in the course of the meeting between the two leaders and it degenerated into a violent physical confrontation despite all attempts made by those present to restrain them. For emphasis and necessary clarity, both parties were involved in the violent physical confrontation against each other, and it was not a case of one party assaulting the other or some stakeholders assaulting one stakeholder.”
He described the incident as unfortunate and deeply regretted by the PDP in Ushongo, saying efforts are already in motion to find lasting solution to the matter in the best interest of all concerned and appealed to the public and all who may be concerned in one way or another to refrain from making utterances or acting in any way that will not help the course of peace and reconciliation in the matter.