- Ayu Threatens to Stop Ortom, Others From Realising Their Ambition
By Amos Aar
THE presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is not finding it easy in Benue State owing to the rift between Governor Samuel Ortom and Dr Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s national chairman.
Ortom has officially announced the withdrawal of his support for Atiku a couple of days ago.
Alhaji Atiku, Ayu and Governor Ortom have been at daggers down since the PDP presidential primary election in May 2022 which produced the former Vice President as its presidential candidate contrary to Ortom’s wish and expectation that his preferred aspirant, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, emerge the party’s flagbearer.
Ortom, who has never hidden his political philosophies that “party is interest, no permanent enemy, no permanent friend”, even joined forces with Wike and four other governors in the South, calling for what could be described as a forced resignation of the PDP national chairman, Dr Ayu, for allegedly aiding the emergence of Atiku as PDP presidential candidate, which according to them was unfair in terms of conventional zoning between North and South.
They argued that it is wrong for a northerner to hand over power to another northerner after eight years against the PDP tradition of power rotation between North and South after every eight years. Most worrisome, according to them, is the fact that a Fulani man will hand over to another Fulani man.
Although Ortom had been indecisive and more or less silent about his support for Atiku, a recent viral video in which Atiku came hard against Ortom and Benue people that they are rustlers of cows provoked Ortom to bare his fangs by announcing the withdrawal of his support for Atiku.
On 25th October, 2022, Ortom and his kinsmen from MINDA withdrew their support for Atiku, alleging that the PDP Presidential candidate is “an agent of Miyetti Allah and he is working against the interest of Benue people.
At a meeting with stakeholders from Benue Zone B on Friday, 28th October, 2022, at Government House, Makurdi, Ortom re-echoed his withdrawal of support for Atiku and was even more blunt, saying that he is still in PDP but an ‘obi-dient servant’ in the party. Ortom added that when the time for voting in the 2023 general elections comes, Benue people will vote accordingly. Meaning that, they will vote according to their relationship with the State. Unfortunately for Atiku, he is already in the black book of Ortom and some people of the state!
National Record learnt that by being obi-dient, Ortom meant he was supporting Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party whose supporters are known for saying they are ‘obi-dient.’
“I’m obi-dient servant of the PDP from bottom to top,” Ortom told Benue Zone B stakeholders at the meeting.
Ortom’s action has dealt a heavy blow to Atiku’s electioneering campaign in Benue State! Many influential politicians who are Ortom’s appointees or loyalists are showing a white feather to campaign for Atiku to avoid their principal’s wrath. Those politicians answerable to Governor Ortom also have people listening to them and they too have shied away from openly supporting Atiku.
The worst part of it is that, as an incumbent governor in the same political party with the PDP presidential candidate, Ortom is supposed to be the chief coordinator of his campaign in Benue, using even his resources to work for the victory of Atiku come 2023.
As it stands, Atiku’s campaign is suffering a serious setback in Benue State. Even those who are supposed to be his ardent supporters are not making it explicit owing to either of these two reasons; they may be tagged supporters of Benue killers or they may be victimised by Ortom, for those who are his appointees.
Atiku therefore needs a political masterstroke to quickly resolve the rift with Ortom if Benue support and votes mean anything to him.
Ayu threatens to stop Ortom, others from realising Ambition
Meanwhile Dr Ayu had on Friday in Gboko threatened to stop Governor Ortom of and other party chieftains calling for his resignation from realising their political ambition.
Ayu reportedly made the threat in Tiv language on Friday while addressing the crowd of his supporters who gathered in his country home in Gboko, Benue State, to welcomed him back from his recent trip overseas.
Ayu stated that he had the power to stop any candidate contesting on the party’s platform, particularly in the state, to avenge the calls for his resignation. He said as a father of all party members and in his quest to avoid a crack in the party, he has decided to remain silent.
“I have been silent over all the things you are hearing against me because I don’t want any crack in the party I belong in my state, I have the powers to say you and you will not go anywhere because I will insist that I must sign before you go anywhere.
“But I have signed for all candidates produced by the PDP to go ahead with their dreams, whether I like it or not, I signed.
“So, I was doing that believing that I cannot shoot myself in the leg. I want Benue to come first by winning all elections so that Nigerians will say that the national chairman has delivered his state to PDP with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar winning 90 percent of the votes and Titus Uba as governor in 2023.”
While admonishing his people not to be afraid of what some politicians are saying, Ayu stated that the opposition party is one and not divided. The PDP chairman, therefore, called on the people of the state to vote massively for the PDP to be able to win in all the elections and cater to the welfare of the Tiv people.
He said, “Nothing should worry you, my people. Since I started politics more than 30 years ago, you have never rejected me, you are always supporting me. They say a prophet has no respect in his home, but my case is different I am overwhelmed by this great show of love.
“The PDP is one and not divided. I am trying my best not to disappoint the Benue people and Nigerians in general, so if you hear that they want to chase Ayu out as national chairman, don’t be worried; nobody is going to sack me as national chairman of our party. I will leave the seat on a day that God permits.
“It is God that enthrones leadership, He uses people to enthrone a person over others and protects that person. I want to assure you that all these days, God has been protecting me even when I went on sick leave abroad, God is still protecting me.
“The Tiv people have suffered so much in this country. We are yet to get our share of the national cake, so my charge to you is not to relent in prayers so that this time around come 2023, God will give us a president who will work closely with the Governor of our state to wipe out our tears.
“During Senator J S Tarka’s era, God gave us a Fulani man, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, did he fight the Tiv nation? Did he kill our people? He appointed five ministers from Benue State and speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Chaha, Paul Unongo (Minister of steel), Isaac Shaahu (Minister of Communications), Mrs Elizabeth Ivase (Education Minister), and former Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, etc.
“Another Fulani man, Yar Adua appointed a Tiv man, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, his Minister of Justice.
“Today, the standard bearer of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, who is not only a chieftaincy title holder of the Tiv people as the Zege Mule U Tiv, he is my friend, he told me his plans for the Tiv nation. That he will wipe away the tears of our people.
“So, nobody should try to bring any troubles to you. I am telling you today, PDP is one party, a party that has divisions and does not win elections. No matter the strength of any party, if it does not have unity, it will lose elections.
