Ortom Abandons Benue, Dancing with Wike Everywhere, Says AAC Candidate

George Okoh in Makurdi

The governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Benue State, Benjamin Obe, has knocked Governor Samuel Ortom, accusing him of abandoning his duties to be “dancing around” with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

Obe alleged that amid the poverty and insecurity rocking Benue, Ortom chose to be going around with other aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, known as G5 governors, and seeking the resignation of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar over regional differences.

The AAC governorship candidate stated this in a statement issued on Saturday, obtained by our correspondent.

According to him, Nigerians are daily fascinated with the different dances by the so-called G5 led by Wike, moving around Nigeria and even the world to dance in protests over losing the PDP presidential ticket to Atiku.

“To cover for their loss, the funny G5 governors dramatise around, claiming to be defending the South and ethnic minorities. But, he who comes to equity, the Greek Goddess opined, must come with clean hands,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the G5 governors, he alleged that apart from Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Wike, “who made some claims to minimal governance, the rest three (Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu – Abia and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi – Enugu) have their states as the worst-governed in the country as I type.”

“Both Seyi and Wike themselves only make noises around storms in the tea cup developmental projects that they advertise to the world as milestones.

“In the past three months, all we hear and see on television is Wike spending to hold large ceremonies to commission common fly-overs. Seyi is also exploring his popularity amongst the youths to build mythologies around his meagre achievements in Oyo.

“But my major concern today is our own Ortom. Sadly, a man who rode on opportunism to become the governor on the back of religious and ethnic agitations has done almost nothing to ameliorate poverty, provide real security, and build human capacity.

“In Benue today, people travel within the state with ‘their hearts in their mouths’ due to a failed security system in the state, with our dear governor dancing around the country like an artist. The rate of kidnappings in the state is alarming,” Obe stated.

Saying lamentations could not secure the legendary “Food Basket of the Nation”, he said, “One must note that the herdsmen attacks are brought about by an economic and agricultural crisis.”

“Our party has openly said it will be building modern ranches as well as heavily secured mechanised farming such that the only conflict would be which of both animal or plant agriculture is bringing in the greater wealth. By then, we all in Benue will be living in abundance and peace.”