- Says no conviction yet on candidacy
Still smarting from his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Nyesom Wike’s loss at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state says his support for Atiku Abubakar as the party’s flag bearer in the 2023 general elections still hangs in the balance.
Therefore, he is currently undertaking the spiritual exercise of “fasting and praying” for divine guidance and direction before deciding on the way forward.
Expressing his views on Arise News Channel recently, Gov Ortom said current developments within the country’s main opposition party are quite disappointing and have caused further divisions that must be addressed urgently.
With commendation for Governor Wike, whom he backed for the PDP’s presidential slot, the Benue State Chief Executive said his Rivers State colleague is “somebody who stood for the party and made sure that things worked” when there were turbulence in the recent past
He explained that with the primary poll over, “Some of us believed in him” as the party’s best choice for the Vice Presidential candidate only to be given a shocker by the Party and its flag bearer, Atiku.
Governor Ortom said aside from the fact of ‘waiting on God’ for divine direction, the Atiku presidential project will hopefully gained the needed traction if he reaches out to “The man he denied the popular view of the PDP members, 14 out of 17, who said Wike should be the Vice Presidential candidate.
“I expect more explanation. I expect him to talk to Wike whom we are supporting first. I expect him to reach out to some of us so that together we can work as a party”.
Addressing the issues further, the outspoken Benue Governor said; “All of us have our weapons. Wike can be ‘something something’ but when it comes to mobilisation, impact, value addition and reaching out to make sure that the party works, the man is an important instrument.
“He’s somebody who stood for the party and made sure that things worked. Some of us believed in him, but unfortunately, it was somebody else. But the party is supreme.
“However, some of us have resorted to prayers. I have been in hibernation. We’ve resorted to prayer: ‘Lord God, where do we go from here.’ I believe as a Christian that power belongs to God. The Bible says a man can receive nothing except it is given to him from above.
“I am praying. I have gone into hibernation. I am fasting and praying. So in the end, if God directs me that I should support Atiku, why should I not do it? After all, he’s my party member.
“But I am waiting for him to do more. I expect him to reach out to Governor Wike, who came second in the presidential primary.”
For Governor Ortom, the PDP and Atiku’s train have a lot to do in healing open wounds within the opposition party and bringing on board everyone that matters to see the 2023 ‘PDP Take Over’ project come to fruition.
At the PDP’s Special Convention/Presidential Primary in May 2022, Governor Ortom’s preferred aspirant and Rivers State Chief Executive, Wike, failing to clinch the ticket losing to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
To further compound matters, the Wazirin Adamawa shunned the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)’s majority endorsement of Governor Wike to pick Governor of Delta, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.
