‘I helped in building the party’ — Ortom says he won’t dump PDP

Samuel Ortom, former governor of Benue, says he has no plan to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ortom spoke on Monday at a meeting with party members in Makurdi, the capital of Benue.

The former governor was reacting to rumours that he is planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ortom said he is a committed member of the opposition party and will continue to work for its progress.

“I am not defecting to any political party. I am not going anywhere. I will remain in PDP,” Ortom said.

“I have helped in building the party and I am committed to working  for its progress.”

Also speaking, Gabriel Suswam, former governor of Benue, said called for unity among party members.

Suswam said the 2023 elections have come and gone, noting that the PDP has learnt from its mistakes and would do better in subsequent polls.

John Ngbede, Benue PDP chairman, advised members to shun divisive tendencies, adding that unity will make the party stronger.

“We, the leaders of PDP are very united and we will remain so no matter the circumstances. We will work very hard to reclaim our mandate in 2027. The Benue state government house belongs to us,” he said.

Ortom is a member of the G5 which includes Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former governor of Enugu; Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, and Okezie Ikpeazu, former governor of Abia.

They are all chieftains of the PDP who supported Wike and refused to back the presidential bid of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 elections.

Last month, Ortom said the G5 would support President Bola Tinubu if he seeks re-election in 2027.

The former Benue governor said Tinubu is a seasoned administrator and should be allowed to fix the country.