The Benue Coalition for Democracy, BCD, have frowned at the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu visiting the state and failing to sympathise with the people over the recent herdsmen killings in Gbeji that claimed close to 40 lives and the massive flooding that displaced over 134,797 and claimed 24 lives across the state.

The group Insisted that the disposition of the National Chairman smacks of insensitivity to the plight of the people of Benue who have been left devastated in the last few months.

Recall that Senator Ayu who was welcomed home in Gboko at the weekend by his kinsmen while addressing them on the crisis rocking the PDP reportedly boasted among others that he had powers to stop the political aspirations of Governor Samuel Ortom and others under the party who were calling for his resignation, insisting that no one would force him out of office until God’s appointed time.

He said, “I have been silent over all the things you are hearing against me because I don’t want any crack in the party I belong in my state. I have the powers to say you and you will not go anywhere because I will insist that I must sign before you go anywhere.”

But in a swift reaction to the statement by Senator Ayu, the Coordinator of BCD, Aloysius Gbakaan, in a statement Sunday in Makurdi decried the outright failure of the PDP National Chairman to identify with the devastated people of the state in their time of grief.

The BCD Coordinator said “as a man who is from Benue State and as the National Chairman of a political party which is seeking to take over the reins of power at the centre, many Nigerians expected Senator Ayu to visit Gbeji and sympathize with families of those killed in the attack while condemning the dastardly act.

“He was also expected to visit the areas most affected by flooding and offer some words of consolation. It would not have been too much to send relief materials to the victims. In fact, a man who is not self-centred would have invited his presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to accompany him to visit Gbeji and the flood hit areas.

“He did none of these things and instead mounted the political podium in Gboko to attack Governor Samuel Ortom and other PDP stakeholders in Benue State who have called his bluff. He sounded like a military dictator who has absolute power under his control.

“This is a man who praised Governor Ortom to high heavens in December 2021 and January 2022 when the Governor singlehandedly convinced other PDP Governors and stakeholders to accept Ayu even when some people had their reservations about him. Today, he has made Ortom his number one enemy.”

While accusing Senator Ayu of aligning with the Presidential candidate of the PDP to fight Governor Ortom after the yeoman’s job he did to get him elected as National Chairman of the PDP, the BCD urged him to have a rethink and also apologise to the people of Benue state.

“The BCD demands an immediate apology from Senator Ayu for playing politics when our people are being killed.

“We want Nigerians who are desirous of enjoying peace after the tenure of the largely incompetent President Buhari to beware of Senator Ayu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s utterances now that they are not near the seat of power. They have no sympathy or good feelings for the people. Atiku will be worse than Buhari.

“We as Benue voters find the insult from Senator Ayu and Atiku unacceptable and we will show our anger during next year’s election,” the statement read in part. (Vanguard)