From Rose Ejembi and Scholastica Joseph, Makurdi
Even as the crisis rocking the national the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, deepens, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has insisted that he stands with his friend and Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike, over the injustices meted out to him .
Ortom made his stand while speaking at the PDP Zone B, Benue North-West Senatorial district,
caucus meeting held in government House, Makurdi, on Tuesday.
He stated that the party leadership, up until now, has not been fair to Governor Wike based on activities that took place during and after the convention.
“We have not been able to deploy, adequately, the internal conflict mechanism to resolve those issues and this is all I have been saying.
“I have not moved away from there, that I still sympathize with Wike on the injustice meted on him.
“Politics is about interest and where your interest is not protected, you have a right to protest and I think that is what is happening.
“I sympathize with him and still stand with him that let the leadership of the party at the national level do the same thing.
“In politics nothing can be late, no matter how difficult it may seem if everybody bring down himself to the level to getting others who are aggrieved. And to say that some of us are happy with the injustice that have been meted, we remain committed to PDP and I feel that the right thing should be done to put us together.”
Governor Ortom recalled that the Board of Trustee, BOT Chairman was in the state some few days ago and “we deliberated on the matter, they sought my opinion first to know what my thinking was about the crisis.
“I told them the truth as far as am concerned and they took it with passion and also asked me for recommendations which I gave.
“That was all that was done and I hope that they will do justice to it so that our party will take over power in 2023.”
The Governor further stated that the headline from Thisday newspaper stating that had split with Wike was not only false but also misleading.
He said, “I just came back from London with Wike this morning. We are friends and I still maintain my stand on what I said. I haven’t moved from there.”
The Governor maintained that despite the crisis rocking the party at the national level, Benue State does not have any problem, saying “from bottom to top, we are good to go, as far as our party is concerned. I am working for our candidates.”
Governor Ortom insisted that he cannot work against PDP but he will support every candidate, emphasising however, “that does not mean I am not aggrieved, Wike is aggrieved and I am aggrieved too.”
Speaking on the outcome of the caucus meeting, Governor Ortom said after due consultations, a Benue North-West Senatorial campaign team for the Senate seat will be constituted and integrated into the main campaign council of PDP in the state with him as the chairman of the campaign council and Cletus Tyokaa as Secretary.