The aspirants, under the aegis of Forum of PDP Governorship Aspirants in Benue, said that they will not accept Governor Ortom.
The Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom has reacted to a statement issued by governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The aspirants, under the aegis of Forum of PDP Governorship Aspirants in Benue, said that they will not accept someone with ‘negative value’.
They made this known in a statement which they issued to newsmen on Monday, July 23, 2018 in Abuja.
They have no power
In his reaction, Tahav Agerzua, the Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Media and ICT said that the PDP aspirants have no power to stop the Governor from joining the PDP.
Agerzua also criticised the aspirants for saying that Ortom has not added any value in the lives of Benue state people.
He said “Ortom does not need to take permission from them (Benue PDP aspirants) if he wants to return to the PDP. He had never contacted them. At no time did he ask their permission and I don’t think that the governor has announced that he is going into the PDP. “If the Governor wants to go back to the PDP or anywhere, he knows where to go, certainly not a group of governorship aspirants, he would not approach them. And I don’t think the party will seek their opinion, if that were to happen.
“Moreover, if I were vying for the position of governor in the PDP I would prepare for anyone that would come up. I would prepare for anybody.
“If they say Governor Ortom has not added any value, it is for the members of the party he goes to decide for his nomination first, and then the people of the state to pass that judgement.
“It is not for a group of people to pass judgement for their own selfish interest. I know that issue of political party is issue of interest, maybe they think that their interest is threatened. “But surely, I don’t think they have the controlling powers of the structure of the PDP. If you talk of the PDP, I know of prominent people in the PDP that have asked Governor Ortom to return to the PDP.”
Ortom helped build PDP
According to Vanguard, the Governor’s aide said that Ortom put all his efforts to building the PDP when he was a member.
He also said that he will announce to the people what his next political move will be.
“And if you juxtapose that with what they are saying you will know who have more to admit or to keep Ortom out; whether the PDP is owned by a group of aspirants; I don’t know?
“They were obviously not there when Governor Ortom gave his all to build the PDP. So if the governor want to go back to the PDP he would certainly not seek their opinion.
“They are arrogating to themselves the powers they do not posses and will never posses. Are they competent to talk for the PDP, were they there when PDP was at the formation in stage? When PDP was at the dining table they were not there. When people were founding the party where were they?
“I can tell you that the Governor had just held a meeting with government appointees today and told them that he was going to hold another meeting convened by the national leadership of the APC in Abuja on Thursday with the leader of the APC in the state.
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“He explained that after the meeting he would announce his political membership. We think that before the week runs out the fog will clear.
“We shall know whether he would remain in the APC or he would go to any other party. It would be clear by weekend. We all need to be a little bit patient.”
Meanwhile a group known as Benue Youth Alliance For Ortom 2019 (BYAFO 2019) have vowed to follow Governor Samuel Ortom as he seeks a better future for the people of the state.