I’m still in APC, says Ortom after ‘secret talks’ with PDP leaders

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state, says efforts are in place to resolve the issues he has with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ortom said this less than 24 hours after meeting with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state.

On Thursday, he met with Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, in  Abuja and spoke with journalists biefly.

“I am here in APC; a member of APC. I am still flying the flag of APC. I only said I was given a red card but the leadership of the party told me that the decision of the party leadership at the national level is superior to any individual and I think that is good enough,” he said.

“Stakeholders are going to be consulted… we have not concluded the matter, it is an ongoing process because I have always stood for peace and I always want peace to prevail. I appreciate the intervention and I hope that we would be able to resolve the matter of differences and this is the funny thing about politics.”

Apart from Ortom, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Aminu Tambuwal, his Kwara and Sokoto counterparts, also met with leaders of the opposition party.

Muyideen Akorede, spokesman of Ahmed, later said the APC governors met PDP leaders at the burial of the mother of Kawu Baraje, leader of the nPDP.

He, however, made it clear that the governor was considering leaving the APC.

nPDP pulled out of the PDP in the buildup of the 2015 election. The bloc teamed up with APC to dislodge the former ruling party in 2015.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, Uche Secondus, national chairman of PDP and Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, were among those who attended the Ilorin meeting.