victoria adebimpe
Akase Aterver, the Special Adviser to Governor Ortom, the Benue State Governor, on Media and Publicity, has disclaimed a report making rounds online that the G-5 Governors have decided to support the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The G-5 Governors includes Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu states.
There have been a lingering dispute between the G-5 Governors and the PDP at national level. The G5 Governors are not in support of the leadership of the national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
They are therefore clamoring for Dr Iyorchia Ayu to resign as the only condition for them to support the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Akase therefore released a statement disclaiming a report making rounds online that the five Governors had decided to support the PDP presidential candidate.
In the statement,
“We read a fictitious online report which claimed that the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and his colleagues in the G-5 have resolved to work for the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to win the 2023 election.
“The report is not only false but also mischievous as it is targeted at embarrassing the five Governors who have chosen the path of justice, fairness and equity.
“Manufacturers of the said report were apparently on a desperate mission to score a cheap political point. The report could not mention the place and date of the said meeting of G-5 Governors. The writers only sought to take advantage of the crisis within the PDP for their selfish purposes. Governor Ortom and other members of the G-5 have not endorsed the said presidential candidate.
“When the Governor met with the expanded state caucus of PDP yesterday January 9, 2023, at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, his message to them was crystal clear that the national leadership of PDP has failed to utilize its internal conflict resolution mechanism which has led to the crisis rocking the party.
“The Governor said during the meeting that if the crisis is not resolved before the elections, he would be left with no other option than to take a stand on the matter. He added however that he wouldn’t impose his decision on members of the party in the state.
“Stakeholders present at the meeting commended the Governor for his patriotic disposition and pledged to line up behind him.
“Those who spoke on behalf of zones A, B and C, as well as for women and youths, all said Governor Ortom has shown the character of a dependable leader who puts the interest of his people first.
“The stakeholders pledged to find ways of resolving the internal crisis rocking the party while assuring the Governor that they would continue to stand with him through thick and thin.
“Governor Ortom did not address the press after the meeting. The online report is therefore fake and should be disregarded.”
