Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has dismissed insinuations that he was in support of the removal of National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
According to him, it is impossible for him to advocate the removal of someone he helped to appoint, adding that his confidence in Ayu’s ability to lead the party to victory in next the 2023 general election.
The governor was reacting to accusations by a group, the Abuja chapter of the Jemgbagh Development Association, that he was involved in the agitation for the removal the PDP national chairman, a fellow Benue indigene.
Ortom is an active member of the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike’s group in the PDP, which is demanding for that Ayu must resign for a southerner to occupy the party’s chairmanship position, since Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate and Ayu are from the same Northern region.
Ortom, in a statement in Abuja by his spokesman, Nathaniel Ikyur, said he worked tirelessly, alongside other prominent Benue citizens, to ensure that Ayu was elected national chairman of the PDP against all odds.
The statement said, “The governor could not, therefore, turn around to work against him to be removed from office.”
It described as mischievous “allegations by an amorphous, little known group parading itself as Jemgbagh Development Association, Abuja chapter, that the Benue governor has a hand in Ayu’s current travails”.
Ortom maintained that with the backing of many leaders of the PDP, who believed his sense of judgment, they worked relentlessly in the run up to the party’s national convention to market Ayu as having the requisite capacity to lead PDP, especially, in the 2023 general election.
“Governor Ortom vouched for the integrity and capacity of Dr Iyorchia Ayu to lead and rebuild the PDP to victory and rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the APC maladministration.
“That is why Ayu was returned unopposed by the northern caucus of the party and got elected as the national chairman of the PDP at the party’s convention.
“Where was Jemgbagh Development Association, when Governor Ortom galvanised support from across the leaders of the party to make Dr. Ayu PDP’s National Chairman?
“What was their contribution to that project that they now want to use clannish stance to blackmail the governor?” The statement asked.
The statement described as laughable how “this amorphous and emergency Jemgbagh Development Association, Abuja, which has never been heard of before, is now masquerading as the voice of Jemgbagh to embark on campaign of calumny against Governor Ortom, who has worked selflessly for the people of Benue State.
“Governor Ortom is more Jemgbagh than most of the people claiming it now. This is fact, because he has done more for Jemgbagh, both in terms of appointments and projects executed as well as patronage in the area, than even one of the Jemgbagh sons, who was governor. “Besides, Governor Ortom has consistently worked for the unity of Benue State and will never stand in the way of any of her citizens, either here in the state or in the diaspora
“For those, who claimed to be leaders of this Jemgbagh Development Association, Abuja, we urge them to be truly developmental in their drive to build cohesion among the people and attract real development to their area rather than engaging in mischief or blackmail.”
