A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mark Terseer Gbillah has denied allegations that he belongs to two political parties and contesting under same.
He said that the allegations were false, premeditated, malicious, unfounded and a figment of the criminal and depraved imagination of his opponents and detractors.
The lawmaker also said that the allegations were also intended to discourage his supporters by trying to bring his candidacy to disrepute and give his opponent an advantage over him at the polls.
“My attention has been drawn to a news item by an online entity called firsttvnigeria.com claiming I was sent a letter by INEC informing me I am ineligible to run for the 2023 election and that I broke the law by submitting my information to more than one political party. I want to state categorically and unequivocally that this news item is false, premeditated, malicious, unfounded and a figment of the criminal and depraved imagination of firsttvnigeria.com who have obviously been conscripted by my opponents and detractors as part of a campaign of calumny against me since my emergence as the Labour Party candidate for the 2023 Benue North-West (Zone B) Senatorial District election because of their fear of my popularity and acceptability with the electorate in comparison to their candidate.
The firsttvnigeria.com webpage footer indicates First TV by First Dotai Nig Ltd, further online investigation revealed from the online account of a certain James Igbudu who is a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and ICT to the Governor of Benue State Dr Samuel Ortom that he is the Founder and CEO of First Dotai Nig Ltd. It can therefore not be a subject of conjecture or coincidence that the publisher of this fake news item is an appointee and aide to Governor Samuel Ortom who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Benue North-West (Zone B) Senatorial District and will be my opponent at the 2023 general elections. I am well within my rights to believe the Governor is privy to this fake news publication by his SSA the intendment of which is to misinform, mislead and discourage my supporters by trying to bring my candidacy to disrepute with the unscrupulous belief that this would give the Governor an advantage over me at the polls,” Hon. Gbilah said.
He therefore alerted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant security agencies of the apparent breach of section 123 (b) and (c) of the Electoral Act 2022 and the peace accord entered into by all political parties by this fake news publication by Governor Samuel Ortoms SSA and the alleged intention of this camp to employ every unscrupulous and dubious avenue to discredit me and prevent me from being on the ballot in 2023 which gives my family and I great concern about our wellbeing.
“I want to put the INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the National Security Adviser and other relevant security agencies on notice that Governor Samuel Ortom, his administration and cronies should be held responsible for any continued disparagement, misinformation and attack against me, my candidacy and family and for any harm that befalls me or any member of my family during the electioneering campaigns, pre and post elections up to the termination of this administration,” he said.
He pointed out that “While it is true that INEC’S publication on 20th September 2022 of the list of National (Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives) candidates for the 2023 general elections indicated my name as the candidate for both Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the Benue North-West Senatorial District Elections, this publication was erroneous and without my knowledge and I have since initiated necessary legal action against INEC and NNPP in order to correct this grievous error which is alleged to have occurred because of NNPP’S inability to upload the name of their replacement candidate to the INEC portal within the timeline provided by INEC and INEC’S publication of the last name sent by NNPP without taking into cognizance my resignation of membership and withdrawal as candidate of the NNPP for the Benue North-West Senatorial District election (which was accompanied by an affidavit I deposed to in this regard) on 7th July 2022 and my joining the Labour Party and participating in the Labour Party rescheduled Senatorial primaries for Benue North-West Senatorial District on 11thJuly 2022 where I was returned elected unopposed as the Labour Party candidate for the election. These documents are all in INEC’S possession including INEC’S own report of NNPP’S rescheduled Senatorial primaries to substitute the candidate for Benue North-West Senatorial District which held on 12th July 2022 at the NNPP state secretariat where a certain Ako Aondoaver Francis was returned elected as the NNPP’S new candidate for the election to replace me. It is therefore curious why INEC still published my name as the candidate for both parties when it is privy to all above mentioned facts and accompanying documents”.
He reassured members of his family, friends, well-wishers and teeming supporters across the state and country that he remains the Labour Party candidate for the Benue North-West Senatorial election in the 2023 general elections and will definitely and unfailingly be on the ballot for that election.
” I am fully committed to issue and fact-based campaigns premised on capacity and performance and to free and fair elections and will take necessary action against opponents and detractors who continue this campaign of calumny and attacks against me instead of focusing on their own campaigns and testing their popularity with the electorate who it is alleged they intend to try to buy votes from during the general elections,” He he assured.
The Lawmaker warned that he has instructed his lawyers to immediately institute legal action against all those who maliciously allowed themselves to be used to disseminate the unfounded and premeditated news item and those who have been involved in previous online slander against him.
” I will be seeking extensive prayers including criminal prosecution to serve as a deterrent to those who want to tow this shameful and cowardly path in future, they should be ready and prepared to face the consequences of their actions, publications, correspondence, posts and communication. A word they say is enough for the wise! The people of Benue and Nigeria will no longer be taken for granted and will not condone the failures of a generation of politicians and political parties who have been unable to deliver the dividends of democracy the people so earnestly desire but have continued to plunder our commonwealth and endanger the future of our children and country, Nigerians are unanimous and resolute in their decision to take back their country and no amount of intimidation, disparagement or attempt at vote buying will change their resolve, those of us who espouse the same ideals with our compatriots will not relent in ensuring the desires of the generality of Nigerians comes to fruition in the 2023 elections”.
N.O
