From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said that all the 30 plus People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants running in the state are eminently qualified and have the capacity to govern the state.
‘All the gubernatorial aspirants in PDP are qualified and I believe that any one of them who gets the ticket will do better than me. The fact that more than 30 people have indicated interest shows that PDP has the capacity to govern Benue come 2023,’ the governor stated.
Governor Ortom, who made the statement at a meeting with governorship aspirants and stakeholders of the party at the Government House in Makurdi on Monday evening, assured that by the grace of God, PDP will take over the mantle of leadership both at the state and at the national level come 2023.
‘By the grace of God, PDP will take over the mantle of leadership both at the state and at the national level because from what we are seeing, APC has failed. They came on the propaganda of lies and today, everyone can see,’ he said.
While describing the All Progressives Congress APC as a party of deceit and lies that has added to the sorrows of Nigeria and Nigerians, Governor Ortom said it was for this reason that the PDP is determined to return in 2023 with a mission to rescue the country from APC’s claws.
The governor, who listed insecurity, unemployment and corruption as some of the areas where the APC has failed the country, assured that Nigerians would see a marked difference when the PDP takes over power in 2023.
‘The North is now being controlled by Boko Haram even some of the governors have confirmed it. This is where we are. Do we want to become Afghanistan? If the North East and North West and part of the North Central have been conquered, are we going to allow it to come to Benue State?
‘This is the challenge and I saw it in 2015. We have rejected the camouflage of Fulani grazing openly in our state. It’s a lie. They only want to take over our land and we will not allow them.
‘I am in touch with Nigerians and they are prepared to rescue the country from its enemies and then rebuild it so that we can all have freedom of worship, expression and freedom for everyone.
‘That is where PDP is heading to rescue this country. We are looking for when PDP will reduce unemployment in our country. Today, we are over 30 per cent unemployment rate as against 12 per cent in 2015. APC has not shown that it wants to stop corruption in this country. If there is any word more than corruption, it is APC. APC is a party of deceit and lies,’ the governor stated.