A group known as Concerned PDP Members has stated that enemies of the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP) were responsible for sponsoring media attacks on the ex Benue state Governor and leader of the party, Chief Samuel Ortom.
Concerned PDP Members stated this in response to a call by “Benue PDP Foundation Group” for the suspension of Chief Ortom describing their act as mischievous and unacceptable.
Recall that Benue PDP Foundation Group which claimed to be a PDP group in the state, at press conference in Makurdi, accused Ortom of anti party activities and called on the state executive committee to suspend him from the party.
Reacting to the call, the Coordinator of Concerned PDP Members, Samuel Akough, described them as mercenaries paid to drag the hard earned name of the ex Governor through the mud.
The statement read, “a faceless group which calls itself “Benue PDP Foundation Group” made unfounded accusations against the former Governor of Benue State and Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Samuel Ortom.
“The outing of the nondescript group is another poor job by paid agents who have been mobilized by some individuals who are threatened by the high political profile of Chief Ortom and are desperate to pull him down by all means.
“It must first be established that the character who signed the said press statement and could not even spell his name correctly “Mchael Aberagi” is not in the membership register of our great party in any Ward of Benue State.
“We hasten to challenge the faces behind the hood of the group (their sponsors) to step forward and make their claims instead of using mercenaries to attack Chief Ortom.”
Akough said the former Governor is a man of integrity and honour who stands by his convictions and speaks his mind on issues, no matter who is involved.
“We are confident in him as the leader of our great party and we will continue to stand with him.
“We are well aware of clandestine moves by some individuals who are planning to takeover the structures of the party. They calculate that the only way their plot can succeed is to chase Chief Ortom out of the party, hence their resort to cheap blackmail, propaganda and manipulation.”
While stating that such plan was dead on arrival, the group said “The soul of the PDP is not up for sale to the highest bidder.
“The party’s Congresses are fast approaching. The motive of the sponsors of the campaign of calumny against Chief Ortom is to hijack the party congresses and install their stooges. This plan too will be stoutly resisted by we true members of the party,”
Leader of Concerned PDP Members also described as skewed the narrative by the group “that since 1999, this is the first time our party in the state has performed so dismally as witnessed in the 2023 general elections.”
He explained that if the group were member of the PDP, they would have known that in 2015, Chief Samuel Ortom and nearly all other candidates of All Progressives Congress, APC at that time defeated our party in an unprecedented manner.
“PDP looked a shadow of its former self in the state after the 2015 elections until 2018 when Governor Ortom returned to the party and blew life into it. To now level all manner of accusations against him simply to paint him in dark colours is not only mischievous but also unfortunate and unacceptable!
Akough urged the public not to be misled by the statement of the group saying “their conduct has no place in our democratic process, and we call on the leadership of the PDP at the state and national levels to disregard the tissue of rascality for what it is.”
SOURCE:THE SUN