Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being to blame for the protracted conflict between Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, and Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate.
He noted that the PDP at the national level had not successfully used the internal party mechanisms to resolve the crisis and mend the rift between the pair who took part in the PDP presidential primary contest, in which Atiku, the former vice president of Nigeria, emerged as the party’s front-runner.
According to Governor Ortom, dismissing them with a wave of the hand would be devastating for the PDP during the 2023 elections.
He made this statement during a PDP enlarged caucus meeting on Monday in Makurdi.
He counseled the party’s leadership to rectify the injustices meted out to Governor Wike and other resentful party members.
Governor Ortom noted that he had also provided alternatives to end the brawl, but he also issued a dire warning that if the conflict was not handled, the party would be doomed in the general elections in 2023.
Ortom, who stressed that the PDP must use its own internal system for handling conflicts to resolve the problems, remarked,
“My friend Wike has been treated unfairly because he stood up for the party and continued to defend it until the very end.
“The party’s leadership should take necessary action to address the issue rather than treating individuals as if they were irrelevant. Everyone matters, and you may lose an election with just one vote.
“Therefore, national leadership needs to take more action. Politics is about pursuing interests, including those of our nation, our state, and our citizens. What do I convey to my Benue people?
“I think it will be risky if you disregard us and say you don’t need us. As we approach an election, I want the party to address the injustices so that we can cooperate and avoid a crisis.
Ortom added that the meeting’s extended caucus will discuss problems related to the establishment of the state’s campaign council as well as tactics for winning the election.
The governor of Benue claimed the PDP was united and promised to free the nation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023 and rebuild it.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP and promised to put in a lot of effort to help the party win the 2023 elections.
