By Oriri Onu Peter & Adoga Gonna Samuel, Otukpo, Benue State.

Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Benue State, Ambassador Dickson Akoh has urged all men of conscience to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) before they become victims of the anti-democratic forces in the Party. He gave the advice at a grand reception in his honour and that of Chief Mike Okibe Onoja on Saturday, December 22, 2018 at the Norcross Primary School, Otukpo.

Dr. Akoh, who recently left the APC, said if he could run away from the Party, nobody could cohabit therein. He bemoaned the treatment meted out on him by his former Party, despite being its Chief Financier in Zone C and helping it to win its only seat for the State House of Assembly in the Senatorial Zone in the 2015 general election.

According to Dr. Akoh, the manipulation and bastardisation of the processes leading to the choice of a running mate to the governorship candidate of his former party forced him to leave the party. He wondered why the party took three months to resolve the deputy governorship impasse when it only took the Party four days to resolve that of the governorship. All these, he said, were aimed at denying him the slot for the fact that he was not malleable.

Continuing, Dr. Akoh, who is also the National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) extolled the leadership qualities of Late Reverend Father Moses Adasu, and pledged that the SDP would use the Commonwealth of the people for their common good. He promised to devote his official entitlements to the development of the State.

Also speaking, Senatorial Aspirant on the platform of the Party for the Benue North East, Senator Barnabas Gemade, urged Idoma people to rally behind the candidacy of Chief Mike Onoja for the Benue South seat, saying he was a trustworthy individual.

Governorship Candidate of the Party in the State, Dr. Stephen Hwande regretted the non-promotion of primary school teachers since 2006 and promised to place them on their appropriate ranks when voted into power. He also regretted the neglect of the Idoma-speaking areas of the State and it's industries and promised to revitalise them.

Highlight of the occasion was the reception of over 10,000 decampees by the State Chairman of the Party, Dr. John Enemari and Hon. Edo Egboja, member Benue State House of Assembly.

Also, the party's senatorial candidate for Benue South, Chief Dr. Mike Okibe Onoja said for the past 20 years of democracy in Nigeria the Zone has nothing to show due to bad leadership. While assuring supporters of winning the election, he pledged to end rein of cabals when elected.