Shun intra party rancour, SDP urges Benue youth

 
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has warned that it will not hesitate to invoke the powers to sanction anybody instigating intra party wrangling within its fold.
 
The party Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Abdul Ahmed Ishaq, gave this warning in Abuja when youths from Benue State paid a solidarity visit to the party’s national secretariat over the replacement of the governorship candidate in the state.
 
The party had after looking into a petition brought against its governorship candidate in Benue state, Hon  Hinga Biem, replaced him with Dr.  Hwande Terungwa Stephen, a situation which brought a sharp division which is rocking the party.
 
Scores of placards-wielding youths from the state thronged the party national secretariat in support of the choice of Dr Stephen commending the party for making  the right choice. 
 
But the deputy National Chairman of the party told the youths that the party took decision because it wanted victory for the party in next year’s governorship election and not because they hated the candidate that was replaced.
 
“Hinga Biem is a very respected member of this party. If we hear anybody saying any negative thing against him, the party has powers, the party will invoke its powers against any trouble maker.
 
“But when we are doing political calculation, we want to win election, that’s where all these things are, zoning and so on not because we don’t like him or we don’t love him. We like him and we love him and he is my friend,” the deputy national chairman said 
 
He urged the youth to liaise with all the party organs in the state to galvanise support towards winning next year’s election expressing the hope that SDP would emerge victorious in the governorship election next year.
 
Also speaking, the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, who commended the youths for their peaceful conduct said the party’s decision was not for parochial reasons but in the interest of the party and that of the state.   
 
He described the decision as very strategic one which was only meant to secure victory for the SDP in Benue state and not to short-change anyone.
 
“We believe that that decision was strategically taken, it wasn’t to short-change anybody; we are all one party we are all one family. We were thinking towards making SDP great in Benue; we don’t want to give any chance, we want to ensure that we win Benue State Government House come 2019.”