Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has distanced himself from reports that he had broken political ties with his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Nyesom Wike.
According to Ortom, the report is both false and misleading.
He stated this while addressing newsmen on Tuesday shortly after presiding over the Benue North-West Senatorial district PDP caucus meeting at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.
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While rebuffing the report, Ortom reiterated he stands with Wike on the injustices meted out on him.
Ortom said;
“The report is misleading. I just came back from London this morning with Wike and I still maintain my stand on what I said. I have not moved away from there.
“I still sympathize with Wike for the injustices meted out on him and our group.
“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.
“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.”
Ortom also noted it was not late for the party to resolve the issues, exercising hope that a recent interface with the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party would address them properly.
“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.”
On the crisis rocking the party, Ortom said Benue does not have any problem, insisting he cannot work against the PDP.
“from bottom to top, we are good to go, as far as our party is concerned. I am working for our candidates. that does not mean I am not aggrieved, Wike is aggrieved and I am aggrieved too.”
