‘Wike Is Upset, And I am Too, I Stand With Him In This’, Ortom Says

Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue, denied reports that he had severed political ties with Rivers.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday shortly after presiding the PDP caucus meeting for the Benue North-West Senatorial district at the Benue Peoples House in Makurdi, Ortom insisted he supports Wike in the face of the injustices done to him.

According to him: “The report is misleading. I just came back from London this morning with Wike and I still maintain my stand on what I said. I have not moved away from there.

I still sympathize with Wike for the injustices meted out on him and our group.”

The Governor added: “The party leadership has not been fair to Governor Wike based on the activities that took place during the convention and after the convention.

“They have not been able to adequately deploy the internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party to resolve those issues.

“I still sympathise and stand with Wike and let the leadership of the party at the national level do the right thing. It is not too late to do so.

“Politics is about interest and where your interest is not protected, you have the right to protest.

“We remain committed to the PDP but still want the right thing to be done, so that everybody will be carried along.”

While noting that it is not late to resolve the issues, Ortom further pointed out that with the interface he had with the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party, he hopes that issues will be properly addressed.

“The issue in contention about the national Chairman, the BOT, was here some few days ago and we deliberated on the matter. They sought to know what my feeling was about the crisis and I told them the truth as far I am concerned.

“I gave them my recommendations and I hope that justice will be done so that our party will gain its position to take over power in 2023,” he said.

The Nation reports that Governor maintained that despite the crisis rocking the party at the national level, Benue does not have any problem, stressing that “from bottom to top, we are good to go, as far as our party is concerned. I am working for our candidates.”

Ortom insisted that he cannot work against PDP but he will support every candidate, emphasising “that does not mean I am not aggrieved, Wike is aggrieved and I am aggrieved too.”

Regarding the outcome of the caucus meeting, the Governor stated that following appropriate consultations, a Benue North-West Senatorial campaign team for the Senate seat would be established. He also noted that this team would be incorporated into the primary campaign council of the PDP in Benue State.