Benue governor Samuel Ortom makes U-turn, says he’s still in APC

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state says he is still a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and efforts are in place by the national leadership of the party to resolve political issues in the state.

He said this after his initial statement on Tuesday that he has been given a red card by members of the party in the state and that he is in search of a party where he can pursue his second term ambition.

Ortom who spoke with journalists at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja yesterday July 19th, said the Adam Oshiomhole-led leadership has assured him that no individual in Benue state can pus him out of the party.

“I was given a red card by a Senator…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. We have spoken to him, he has spoken to me, stakeholders are going to be spoken to and that is where I belong. 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. I am here in APC, a member of APC, am still flying the flag of APC and I only said I was given a red card but I have been corrected by the national chairman”, he said.

Also commenting, Oshiomhole said the party does not have any red card in its cupboard and cannot give any to its members.

“I have, as the National Chairman, assured him that the APC does not have a red card in its cupboard so we cannot give what we do not have and we recognize that in several states, there could be legitimate legal issues, there could be agreements, disagreements, some contestations and these we are familiar with.

“There are evidences of the fact that we are a free democratic party and when leaders have disagreements, our responsibility is to help them to find a common ground and the issues in Benue are not so fundamental that we cannot resolve. We have made it clear that we would resolve them; and Sen. Akume is a very respected leader of the party, a former governor- he will recognize the need for peace and we have what it takes to make peace.

“In Benue, we are going for a win-win solution. Gov. Ortom is not going anywhere; he is a very prominent member of our party. We appreciate his leadership in Benue and we will do everything possible to help those who have issues to have those issues resolved.

“Anything we would do, we would do, provided the only thing we will not accept is anybody leaving the house that we have built together, that we are committed to and I think the government statement is clear.

”For PDP that is deceiving people, they must know that only people without honour will vomit in the morning and in the afternoon they convert it to lunch. People like Ortom who have honour cannot leave PDP just three and a half years ago with his eyes open and then later there are some tensions in his master bedroom and is thinking of returning to deceiving people. That, cannot be an option. He is a man of honour and he knows that one should look for one step if you want to take the second step to consolidate the first step; that is the way to go.

“Be assured that PDP can go and do whatever they do, it won’t change the minds of those who are convinced about building the future. It would not be without contestations, it will be based on the understanding that we can have contestations, but we have the qualities required to resolve issues. In Benue, those would be deployed and I am sure Gov. Ortom would be happy, Senator Akume would be happy, much more importantly, the great people of Benue state would be happy, not just our party members, because they want to consolidate what works and not to go back to a broken vehicle”, he said.