Peter Obi should persuade Tinubu, Atiku to step down for him – Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has advised Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, to meet with his opponents, Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress, APC); Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP); Rabiu Kwankwaso (New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP); and others, and persuade them to step down for him.

Ortom said this on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, after he received 2023 presidential hopeful, Obi, in Benue state. The duo held a closed-door meeting.

“If God decides that it is him (Obi), nobody can stop him. If God decides that it is somebody else, nobody can also stop him. So, this is a very welcome development,” Ortom, a member of the PDP, said in a video reviewed by news men.

“And I believe even other presidential candidates, of the various political parties, in the PDP, in the APC and NNPP, I believe he should be able to reach out to them to sit down with them, analyse the Nigerian situation, and see if he can convince them to even step down for him, because there is provision if they do that. That can work.

“Let us be seen as putting Nigeria first. So far, I commend his efforts.”

The meeting came less than 24 hours after the Governor returned from his two weeks working leave and trip to the United Kingdom and United States of America.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nathaniel Ikyur, made available to newsmen in Makurdi, at the end of the meeting the two leaders jointly addressed the media.

Governor Ortom challenged presidential candidates of the various political parties in the coming general elections to put Nigeria above personal interests.

He said Nigerians were in dire need of people with “commitment and competence” that would fix the leadership crisis that had plunged the country into outright chaos.

Earlier, the LP presidential candidate, had explained that the visit was to show respect to his former political ally in the PDP, pointing out that though they were now in different political parties, their friendship as citizens of the country was most important.