Immediate past Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has responded to Atiku Abubakar’s comments by expressing his concern over being the first presidential candidate from a major political party to be rejected by significant stakeholders, including five incumbent governors from his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ortom’s reaction came after Atiku allegedly made a statement accusing Ortom and his colleagues in the G-5 group of working against him during the previous elections, while also suggesting that they were involved in ongoing corruption cases at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and being protected by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Terver Akase, on Wednesday, Ortom stated, “We are not certain whether the Special Assistant on Public Communication to the PDP presidential candidate obtained his consent before making the statement, because if he had, he would have refrained from blaming the G-5 for his defeat at the polls.”
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Ortom emphasized that Atiku should be more concerned about the fact that he has become the first presidential candidate from a major political party to be rejected by key stakeholders, including five sitting governors and numerous other party members. He suggested that Atiku should question why the G-5 and the Integrity Group rejected his candidacy, as they stood for justice, equity, and fairness in advocating for a presidential candidate from the southern part of the country. Ortom argued that Nigerians recognized and supported the undeniable facts presented by the Integrity Group, resulting in the election of a southern presidential candidate.
Ortom further claimed that Atiku was upset because he and his G-5 colleagues refused to be used as tools by Atiku to bypass the collective decision of Nigerians to elect a president from the southern region.