RESIGNATION: ORTOM MEETS OSHIOMHOLE, MAKES U-TURN
RESIGNATION:
ORTOM MEETS OSHIOMHOLE, MAKES U-TURN
ABUJA –
Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom may have shelved his decision to leave his
ruling All Progressives Congress APC, following a trouble-shooting meeting he
had with the National Chairman of the party, Comrades Adams Oshiomhole,
Thursday in Abuja.
Gov Samuel Ortom
Speaking with journalists at the national
secretariat of the party in Abuja, Ortom said the party leadership has assured
him that no individual in Benue state can pus him out of the party.
“I was given a red card by a Senator…but the
leadership of the party told me that the decision of the party leadership at
the national level is superior to any individual and I think that is good
enough. We have spoken to him, he has spoken to me, stakeholders are going to
be spoken to and that is where I belong. We have not concluded the matter, it
is an ongoing process because I have always stood for peace and I always want
peace to prevail.
I appreciate the intervention and I hope that
we would be able to resolve the matter of differences and this is the funny
thing about politics. I am here in APC, a member of APC, am still flying the
flag of APC and I only said I was given a red card but I have been corrected by
the national chairman”, he said. Speaking, Oshiomhole reacts said Ortom would
not be allowed to return to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.
He
said; “I have, as the National Chairman, assured him that the APC does not have
a red card in its cupboard so we cannot give what we do not have and we
recognize that in several states, there could be legitimate legal issues, there
could be agreements, disagreements, some contestations and these we are
familiar with. “There are evidences of the fact that we are a free democratic
party and when leaders have disagreements, our responsibility is to help them
to find a common ground and the issues in Benue are not so fundamental that we
cannot resolve.
We have made it clear that we would resolve
them; and Sen. Akume is a very respected leader of the party, a former
governor- he will recognize the need for peace and we have what it takes to
make peace. “In Benue, we are going for a win-win solution. Gov. Ortom is not
going anywhere; he is a very prominent member of our party. We appreciate his
leadership in Benue and we will do everything possible to help those who have
issues to have those issues resolved.
“Anything we would do, we would do, provided
the only thing we will not accept is anybody leaving the house that we have
built together, that we are committed to and I think the government statement
is clear. For PDP that is deceiving people, they must know that only people
without honour will vomit in the morning and in the afternoon they convert it
to lunch.
People
like Ortom who have honour cannot leave PDP just three and a half years ago
with his eyes open and then later there are some tensions in his master bedroom
and is thinking of returning to deceiving people. That, cannot be an option.
He is a man of honour and he knows that one
should look for one step if you want to take the second step to consolidate the
first step; that is the way to go. “Be assured that PDP can go and do whatever
they do, it won’t change the minds of those who are convinced about building
the future. It would not be without contestations, it will be based on the understanding
that we can have contestations, but we have the qualities required to resolve
issues.
In Benue, those would be deployed and I am
sure Gov. Ortom would be happy, Senator Akume would be happy, much more
importantly, the great people of Benue state would be happy, not just our party
members, because they want to consolidate what works and not to go back to a
broken vehicle”, he added.
