The Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has disagreed with his ally and governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, over his call for the resignation of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Iyorchia Ayu.
Since losing the party’s presidential primaries to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Mr Wike had been opposed Mr Ayu as the national chairman of the PDP.
The governor had recently accused the PDP national chairman of being corrupt, and that he worked against his emergence as the party’s presidential flagbearer.
But Mr Ortom, who had been in Mr Wike’s camp in the ongoing crisis in the party, made a detour and pitched a tent with the current leadership of the party.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesman, Nathaniel Ikyur, Mr Ortom said he had no doubt in the integrity and capacity of Mr Ayu to lead the party to victory in the 2023 general elections.
The statement, issued on Tuesday in reaction to an allegation that the governor was plotting the downfall of his fellow Benue man, Mr Ortom said he would never sabotage his people, either in the state or in the diaspora.
The statement read: “Governor Ortom vouched for the integrity and capacity of Dr Iyorchia Ayu to lead and rebuild the PDP to victory and rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the APC maladministration.
“That is why Ayu was returned unopposed by the northern caucus of the party and got elected as the national chairman of the PDP at the party’s convention.
“Where was Jemgbagh Development Association, when Governor Ortom galvanised support from across the leaders of the party to make Dr. Ayu PDP’s National Chairman?
“What was their contribution to that project that they now want to use clannish stance to blackmail the governor?
“This amorphous and emergency Jemgbagh Development Association, Abuja, which has never been heard of before, is now masquerading as the voice of Jemgbagh to embark on a campaign of calumny against Governor Ortom, who has worked selflessly for the people of Benue State.
“Governor Ortom is more Jemgbagh than most of the people claiming it now. This is fact because he has done more for Jemgbagh, both in terms of appointments and projects executed as well as patronage in the area, than even one of the Jemgbagh sons, who was governor.
“Besides, Governor Ortom has consistently worked for the unity of Benue State and will never stand in the way of any of her citizens, either here in the state or in the diaspora.
“For those, who claimed to be leaders of this Jemgbagh Development Association, Abuja, we urge them to be truly developmental in their drive to build cohesion among the people and attract real development to their area rather than engaging in mischief or blackmail,” he added.
