Why I defected to PDP – Ortom

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has said that he opted to pursue his governorship ambition on the platform of the PDP because it was a more credible alternative for him to achieve his policies.
Ortom, who stated this in Makurdi, during the flag-off of his governorship campaign, said his former platform lacked genuine interest in the welfare of the people and therefore could not offer him the needed support to truly embark on people-oriented programmes.


The governor, who won his election on the platform of the APC where he defected to, after losing the PDP governorship ticket in 2014, but had returned to the PDP some months ago.


“We had to abandon that platform in search of one that offers more accommodation and support for our policies, especially the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017,” he said.
He lamented that some highly placed officials in the APC-led federal government made various attempts to frustrate an imperative legislation aimed at finding lasting peace between farmers and herders in the state.


“Such frustrating efforts by highly placed members of the federal government necessitated my exit from the party to one that will not compromise our stance on a matter so key to the Benue people.
“This is the platform on which we seek the renewal of our mandate. No one will bend us as far as the Ranching Law is concerned because we draw consent and sustained support from the Benue people,” he said.
Reacting to critics’ allegation that he had not performed, Ortom declared that he had done well “given the circumstances of our economy and unwarranted aggression and attacks on Benue”.


“I may not be a genius, but I perfectly know what I wanted as a governor. I cannot lie to the people that trust me. Take this truth from me; my government has done well, and statistics don’t lie.”


Also speaking, the former Senate President, David Mark, appealed to the Benue electorate to vote massively for all candidates seeking elections on the party’s platform to secure a better future for the state.
Meanwhile, the immediate past governor of the state and a senatorial candidate of the party, Mr Gabriel Suswam, accused the APC of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.


He, therefore, urged the people to vote for the PDP and reject the APC.
Earlier, in his remarks, former Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, also a senatorial candidate assured Ortom that the people from Benue South Senatorial zone would vote for the PDP.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that dignitaries at the event included the National Deputy Secretary of the party, Mr Emmanuel Agbo, an ex senate president, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, PDP board member, Mrs. Margaret Icheen, and Ortom’s appointees.(NAN)

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