As the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue state flag off their campaign ahead of 2019 general elections, a former aspirant under the party and current Peoples Redemption Party, PRP candidate of zone A’ senatorial district, James Tersugh Vandefan has said he left the APC because the party lacked internal democracy.
The senatorial hopeful stated this while speaking to The Next Edition at the party secretariat in Makurdi.
Mr Vandefan who aspired for the Zone A senatorial seat under the APC left for the PRP immediately after the party’s “purported” primaries, last year.
In his words, “When I went into the APC, I was having a lot of hope that we were going to go into an election, but when we got to the primaries, I was told that there won’t be any election.
“I never knew that was how it was conducted there. So, I had to leave and find a platform where I can go into a general election.
He said he was prompted to contest the position by the desire to give quality and purposeful leadership and representation to his people.
“I saw that every election year, they will tell us that there is nobody in Zone A to contest from Kwande. I found that a challenge after I retired from the police force.
“I also saw that there is a lot of vacuum in terms of infrastructure in the zone. No hospitals, no good roads, no water or electricity to show that we have been in the process for over 40 years now.
“I’m contesting the seat and hoping that with my experience from the police force and the EFCC, I can offer better services to my people. We need social amenities and I will work closely with the federal government to attract democracy dividends to my people.”
Vandefan pledged his total support to the party and urged other candidates under the party to work hard towards the victory of the party at the polls.
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He said, “If given the mandate come February 2019, I will do what I have been doing for them and I will improve on it. For the past many years, I have been serving my people even as a worker, I wouldn’t want to call it a scholarship, but I used to have at least fifty students on my list that I have been paying their school fees from primary, secondary schools even in the university.
He said as an individual, he has bought and registered JAMB for many sons and daughters of zone ‘A’, provided employment, built hospitals among others.
Vandefan who is contesting the seat of Zone A with political juggernauts like the immediate past governor of Benue state, Dr Gabriel Suswam of PDP, Current Senator of the zone, Banabas Gemade of SDP, former senator in the zone, Sen Joseph Akaagerger of APGA, Mrs Mimi Adzape Orubibi of the APC among others, said he is not shaken but is sure of victory.
He therefore called on Benue people to support the PRP, from the governorship, senatorial and to the State Assembly candidates for the peace, unity and development of the state.
