Why Benue People Will Not Vote for Atiku, Ortom Reveals, Tells PDP Presidential Candidate What He Must Do

• The governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has lambasted Atiku Abubakar again, accusing the PDP presidential candidate of lying against him
• Ortom said if Atiku wants the people of Benue state to vote for him in 2023, he must apologise publicly to him
• The Benue state governor also berated Atiku for not visiting the state to commiserate with residents over attacks and floods

Makurdi, Benue state - Governor Samuel Ortom has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, must apologise to the people of Benue state if he needs their votes in the 2023 general election.

The Benue state governor also specified that Atiku must apologise publicly, explaining that the PDP presidential candidate lied against him recently during his outing in Kaduna state.

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A Daily Trust report indicates that Ortom made the statement when three council chairmen of the Jemgba ethnic group led youths to pay him a visit at the Government House in Makurdi.

Legit.ng gathers that the visitors also expressed anger over Atiku’s alleged outburst just as they equally endorsed Ortom’s senatorial ambition.

“We vehemently condemn the statement against me. When it got to me, I protested to him (Atiku) through a WhatsApp message. He apologised but declined to make it public. You don’t address an elder like me in a room and dress me down in the public. At no point did I ever apologise to Atiku or tell him that Benue people were stealing my cows.

“I never also profiled Fulanis by saying all of them are bad. There are Fulanis in my government; they can even go into my bedroom. I have never sent any Fulani man away. But I’m against the foreign Fulani terrorists coming from Niger, Chad, Senegal and Mali.

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“Atiku must apologise. He (Atiku) lied against me and I take exception. But I commend Buhari for condemning the Gbeji mayhem. That is how a leader should act. But I condemed what Atiku said. He must do a retraction if he wants our votes. If he does not do it, on the day of election, we will vote according to the election," Ortom said.

We cannot vote for a presidential candidate telling lies, says Ortom

Governor Ortom also stated that the state cannot vote for a presidential candidate telling lies.

He berated Atiku for not visiting the state to commiserate with residents over attacks and floods.

"We cannot vote for that kind of person. We were ravaged by flood. Did you see Atiku here? Since 2017 when our people were in IDP camp, did you see Atiku here?

“Now, he is seeking election and want to use me as a scapegoat. We cannot vote a president who will continue carnage on our people. Atiku, you are very unfair to us. You have committed sacrilege against the people of Benue and if you want us to remain in the same party, you must apologise to us.

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“Our baby is PDP, you do not throw away the baby and the bath water. Benue State is PDP and PDP is Benue. I want to assure all ethnic groups and even foreigners of their safety in the land. I want to assure Benue people that under my watch such people (killers) will be apprehended," Governor Ortom added.

Reactions trail Ortom's statement against Atiku

Habila Uromkununn commented on Facebook:

"A governor that can't take decision on his own will never govern his people well."

Clement Adikwu David said:

"Oga, please pay workers their monthly salary before attacking Atiku."

Sani Imam said:

"This is time for Atiku Abubakar 2023."

Governor Ortom withdraws support for Atiku, accuses him of working with Miyetti Allah

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Ortom appeared to have withdrawn his support for Atiku following his allegation against the PDP standard bearer.

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He accused Atiku of dishonouring him as Benue state governor and working against Benue residents' interests.

The Benue state governor also accused Atiku of working with Miyetti Allah, a herdsmen group with a militant arm.

Source: Legit.ng