Former Senate President, David Mark hopes of returning to the Senate may not come to reality as Ten Groups under the aegis of the United Idoma Citizens (UIC), have told him to step aside by pulling out of the February 13 Benue South senatorial rerun.
This comes barely one month after 10 other groups, under the aegis of the Conference of Idoma Pressure Groups, asked the senator to step down.
The UIC, in a statement by its coordinator, Sunday Ogbe, said it was time for Mark to step aside, having served as the political leader of the Idoma for sixteen years.
According to the group, the roads in Mark’s constituency are in deplorable condition and those the federal government paid for were not executed by his recommended contractors.
The group claimed that they were tired of the deceit and lies from Mark, who has been a senator since the return of democratic rule in 1999, and listed several abandoned projects by Mark, including the construction of Oweto Road, a dam in Otukpo and the University of Medical Sciences.
“Should this be a credit or a discredit since these projects are either non-existent or levels of completion are still below 30 per cent?” they queried.
“Why has Mark chosen to return to the Senate as a floor member, having served as the number three man in the nation for eight years?
“Mark’s 16 years in the Senate is a complete disaster. His achievements were only seen on the pages of newspapers and blogs. As the number three man in the nation for eight years, his kinsmen back home had no portable water,” the group claimed.
The group described the former Senate President’s style of politics as divisive of Idoma West versus Idoma North.
It added, “It is sad, yet shameful, that Mark is asking for votes from Idoma people he betrayed.
“He has been using the creation of Apa State as a gimmick to hoodwink our people.He promised to use the last drop of his blood to create Apa State; now the story has changed.”
“We thank the Senator for his 16 years of ‘disservice’ to Idomaland and request that he kindly give way to the young and progressive Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress,” the UIC added.