President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, yesterday vowed to do everything within his power, even if has to sacrifice his life, to pursue to a logical conclusion the creation of more states in the country.
“Even if it takes my last breath, I want to pursue the creation of state. I will put in my last breath to ensure the creation of Apa State for my people,” he said.
He particularly expressed his resolve to push for the creation of Apa State for his Idoma nation. The just-concluded National Conference had recommended creation of 18 additional states. Nigeria currently operates a 36-state federation.
Mark, who spoke when four members of the House of Representatives and nine chairmen of local government councils from his Benue South Senatorial District paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, observed that the desire of most Nigerians was the creation of states to correct the existing imbalances and give every Nigerian and section a sense of belonging in the polity. Responding to the call by his constituents to contest the 2015 senatorial seat, Mark said: “I am a loyal, faithful and dedicated party man.
I will only make my intention known when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) releases the guidelines and programme for the elections.” He told the people to remain steadfast and loyal to the PDP, claiming that there were good reasons, including guaranteed dividends of democracy to remain in the ruling party.
The Senate President, however, cautioned politicians seeking election to political offices to hinge their campaigns on issues that would positively impact on the citizenry instead of engaging in mudslinging which seemed to be the current practice in the polity. “We should be able to tell the people what we have done and what we intend to do when elected,” he stated.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, who is also the Chairman, Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State, Sunday Ada Ojo, explained that their visit was necessitated by the immense pressure from citizens and opinion leaders from Benue South Senatorial District to compel Mark to contest the 2015 senatorial seat.
Ojo noted that there was no better candidate than Mark in the present time for the Idoma nation, revealing that the body of the chairmen and the executives of the nine local government councils from the zone had endorsed the candidature of the President of the Senate. “The quality representation and stability Senator Mark has rendered to the nation, North Central, Benue State and Benue South Senatorial District is unquantifiable.
“We are here to deliver the message from the Idoma elders, women, youths and opinion leaders to you that whether you like it or not, you must stand for another term as a senator representing Benue South in the National Assembly,” Ojo stated.
The leader of the delegation listed Mark’s dividends of democracy to the zone to include road construction, scholarship, construction and rehabilitation of schools, multipurpose Otobi dam, National Open University complex in the zone and many more federal projects.
Speaking on behalf of members of the House of Representatives from Benue South, Hon. Hassan Saleh assured that the Idoma nation was ready to return Mark unopposed in 2015.
Members of House of Representatives who were part of the delegation included: Samson Okwu, Ezeikel Adaji and Adamu Entonu.