KEY POINTS
- Benue governor Ortom who was previously in the APC said that God told him not to run for the 2027 elections.
- Ortom declares loyalty to PDP, discourages party followers from sponsoring him for governor.
- G-14 group declares support for Ortom’s led administration in Benue PDP.
The former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, said on Tuesday that God has revealed to him that he won’t be vying. Ortom stated this when the PDP G-14 members paid him a courtesy visit in Makurdi, stressing his willingness to obey divine order. On his part, Governor Ortom said that he only intend to obey the next directive that God wanted him to fulfill.
Speaking to BBC Hausa, Ortom stated that he ignored God counsel to desist from participating in the 2023 election and lost the elections. God has revealed everything to me to avoid that mistake again, He said. He has told me to wait for Him. He has not succumbed to the dump-truck comment, but is determined for the PDP to get Benue Government House in 2027.
Supporting PDP without personal interest
Ortom again vowed not to dump the PDP for any other party, and stated that personal interest should not override party interest. He vowed to go on supporting the party’s work, adding that he once planned to retire after leaving the office. He decided to stay active due to the elders’ appeals.
In a bid to solve the internal party issues, Ortom declared that there was nowhere in the world that any individual, including himself, had any autonomy to disband the PDP G-14 group. That was a group of elder statutory leaders from fourteen Tiv speaking local government areas. For clarity, as one of the leaders of the party in the state I do not possess the authority to dissolve the group. G-14 is the elders’ forum of the PDP in Benue, and I must know about anything that concerns it, Ortom said.
Actually, consensus and internal party unity can be seen as the most important goal when using referendums. Ortom also talked on the coming ward and local government congresses in Benue, October 3rd and the discussions he had with Senators Gabriel Suswam, and Abba Moro on the need to reach consensus among the members of the party. He stressed the need to have one united front as the PDP provides its services within the opposition.
According to Vanguard, PDP G-14 Chairman Dr. Laha Dzever equally endorsed Ortom’s leadership describing his efforts as a means of keeping the PDP relevant in the State. He agreed that there were differences once in awhile within the party but this he stated would help make them stronger. Dzever also added that the G-14 was created to keep the party going after it lost the 2015 elections, could only be dissolved by Chief Ortom, the founder of the group.
