Ortom’s aide dismisses report on G5 Governors’ endorsement of Atiku

Akase, who is Ortom’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. 

Recently, an online report claimed that the G5 Governors made up of Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), have agreed to support Atiku. 

The governors had made their stance known that they won’t support Atiku’s candidacy unless Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the national chairman of the party.

Describing the report as fictitious, Akase said the governors did not endorse Atiku.

The statement reads in part: “We read a fictitious online report which claimed that the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and his colleagues in the G5 have resolved to work for the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to win the 2023 election.

“The report is not only false but also mischievous as it is targeted at embarrassing the five Governors who have chosen the path of justice, fairness, and equity.

“Manufacturers of the said report were apparently on a desperate mission to score a cheap political point. The report could not mention the place and date of the said meeting of G5 Governors.

“The writers only sought to take advantage of the crisis within the PDP for their selfish purposes. Governor Ortom and other members of the G-5 have not endorsed the said presidential candidate.

“When the Governor met with the expanded state caucus of PDP yesterday January 9, 2023 at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, his message to them was crystal clear that the national leadership of PDP has failed to utilise its internal conflict resolution mechanism which has led to the crisis rocking the party. The Governor said during the meeting that if the crisis is not resolved before the elections, he would be left with no other option than to take a stand on the matter.

He added that Ortom would not impose his decision on members of the party in the state.