Gov Samuel Ortom has said that he chose to pursue his governorship
ambition on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party because it was a
more credible alternative for him to achieve his policies.
Ortom stated this on Monday in Makurdi, during the flag-off of his governorship campaign.
The
governor, who won his election on the platform of the APC where he
defected , after losing the PDP governorship ticket in 2014, 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 regretted that highly paced
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.
Ortom, while reacting to
critics’ allegation that he had not performed, 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.”
Commenting on non-payment of salaries, the governor
said that funds were being sourced to pay outstanding arrears of
salaries, gratuities, and pensions.
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.
A former 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.
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