Politics

Fear grips Ortom

Published

6 years ago

February 12, 2018

Olu Emmanuel

Journalists condemn assassination attempt on Gov. Ortom

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Set to decamp from APC to PDP

Fear has gripped the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, since his encounter with the Presidency and the Inspector general of Police over the killing of Benue indigenes by Fulani herdsmen.

The Benue Governor has since been overwhelmed by panic over the consequences of his confrontation with the Presidency after he had visited President Muhammadu Buhari to seek urgent security intervention n over the killings in Benue.

The governor, after the meeting with the president, suddenly developed hostilities with the Presidency over perceived politic suspected in handling the deteriorating security situation in Benue State.

The incidence sent strong fear into Governor Ortom that his second term may be scuttled, developing the feeling that he is no longer safe in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The fear subsequently, led the governor to seek urgent reconciliation and re-alignment with former Governor of the State, Gabriel Suswam, and negotiating his return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Former Governor Suswam took over the responsibility of facilitating Ortom’s return to PDP. The former Benue Governor appealed to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Governor Ayodele Fayose to support in providing soft-landing for Ortom when he defects from APC to PDP. Part of the deal to ensure the Benue Governor gets PDP automatic ticket for the 2019 governorship election in the state.

The recent solidarity visits by Wike and Fayose to Benue State Governor over the Fulani herdsmen killings was in furtherance of the negotiation for Ortom’s return to PDP.

The Benue governor is currently sitting on the fence, and would be decamping from the APC to the PDP as soon as the negotiation or agreement is cemented.

Ortom is expected to reinforce Suswam’s ambition to go to the Senate in 2019. The former governor needs to work with the sitting governor to succeed in his election to the Senate.

Meanwhile, some Tiv stakeholders have concealed plans to substitute Senator George Akume with another son-of-the-soil in the election into the Senate in 2019. Thus, the former Governor may be missing in the after the general elections if the stakeholders succeed in pushing the new entrant through to the National Assembly.