During the PDP Presidential Primary, Ayu was not neutral and blackmailed me – Ortom

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, of attempting to blackmail and intimidate him.
He claimed that Ayu was waging a smear campaign against him because he is among those calling for the PDP Chairman’s removal or resignation.

According to Track News, the G-5 PDP Governors, led by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, have demanded Ayu’s resignation in order to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

During a meeting with Ayu’s relatives on Sunday, known as the Jemgbagh PDP Elders Forum, which included leaders from Gboko, Tarka, and Buruku Local Government Areas, LGAs, the governor denied allegations that he was bringing down a Jemgbagh son.

According to Ortom, who is running for Senate in 2023, he actually rallied support for Senator Ayu’s election as national chairman against all odds.

Governor Ortom stated that because he was running for the Benue North-West Senatorial District seat, he had been subjected to intimidation and blackmail by some Jemgbagh stakeholders due to his stance for justice and fairness, and he called on Dr. Ayu, who is also running for the same senatorial zone, to resign.

“Power is given by God, and no one should blackmail me because of my senatorial ambition,” he said. Nobody should think that because of the Senate election, he will intimidate me. If God ordains me to be elected Senator for the Benue North-West Senatorial zone, no amount of blackmail or intimidation can prevent me from winning.”

Ortom stated that after the PDP presidential primary he advised Ayu to reach out to aggrieved leaders of the party and plead for their understanding over calls for his resignation.

“But rather than take my counsel, he chose to take the path of disuniting the party by his actions and utterances,” he said.

According to the Benue Governor, the National Chairman did not maintain neutrality in handling the affairs leading to the PDP national convention, which produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party.

He stressed that Ayu himself committed to resigning should a northern presidential candidate emerge at the northern caucus of the party at the Bauchi State lodge.

The governor wondered why the PDP national chairman had now reneged on his promise which he voluntarily made before all the northern leaders of the party.

He instructed the stakeholders in Jemgbagh to invite Senator Ayu and himself to a meeting so that they could both present their positions on the issue.