PDP crisis: I have not abandoned Wike, says Ortom

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, says he remains an ally of Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, over the issues causing conflict in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In recent times, loyalists of Wike — including Ortom — have expressed their support for the Rivers governor over calls for Ayu to step down on the grounds that the party’s national chairman and presidential candidate cannot be from the same region.

Amid the development, an earlier statement by Nathaniel Ikyur, his chief press secretary, had quoted the Benue governor as saying he “has no hand in the current travails” of the PDP national chairman.

Clarifying the comment in a statement issued on Tuesday by Ikyur, Ortom said it is “misleading” to say it meant he had changed his position on supporting Wike.

“I just came back from London this morning with Wike and I still maintain my stand on what I said,” Ortom was quoted as saying.

“I have not moved away from there. The party leadership has not been fair to Governor Wike based on the activities that took place during the convention and after the convention.

“They have not been able to adequately deploy the internal conflict resolution mechanism of the party to resolve those issues. So, I still sympathise and stand with Wike and let the leadership of the party at the national level do the right thing. It is not too late to do so.

“Politics is about interest, and where your interest is not protected, you have the right to protest.

“We remain committed to the PDP but still want the right thing to be done, so that everybody will be carried along.

“The issue in contention about the national chairman, the BoT was here some few days ago and we deliberated on the matter. They sought to know what my feeling was about the crisis and I told them the truth as far I am concerned.

“I gave them my recommendations and I hope that justice will be done so that our party will gain its position to take over power in 2023.”