BENUE State governor Samuel Ortom has said anyone supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar is his enemy.
Ortom stated this while hosting his colleagues Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Femi Makinde (Oyo) in Makurdi.
Atiku had accused Ortom of profiling Fulani people living in Benue as bandits and terrorists.
Read Also:
- Tribunal adjourns Atiku’s petition over INEC’s refusal to provide materials
- Ortom insists he is not Wike’s errand boy
- Wike, others won’t defect from PDP – Ortom
The former vice president made the accusation while fielding questions during an interactive session organised by the Arewa Joint Committee at Arewa House, in Kaduna State, last month.
“I had a big quarrel with Governor Ortom on his accusation of Fulani people. I am a Fulani man. Why should you categorise all Fulani? We have to improve the ways and manner we look after our livestock. I am angry with Samuel Ortom for profiling Fulani as bandits and terrorists,” Atiku had said.
Irked by Atiku’s claims, the governor asked the PDP presidential candidate to withdraw the statement and apologise to him and the people of the state.
He said there was no time he told the former vice president, who is also a Fulani, that his people stole cows from his (Ortom) farm.
He also denied profiling them as terrorists and bandits.
However, while playing host to his counterparts from Rivers, Enugu, Abia and Oyo on Sunday, the governor decried the continuous killings of farmers by herders in the state.
He said he won’t be quiet while residents of the state are being killed.
“To hell with Atiku and any other Fulani man. And any man supporting Atiku and all that is an enemy. I want this to be known as long as I am governor. They should go and tell him. You want me to be a slave for a Fulani. Anybody supporting Atiku is an enemy of Benue,” Ortom said.
“My people are being killed and you want me to be quiet. My tenure ends in May and you can do whatever you want if you think you have the powers.
“I have written my will. When I gave it to my wife, she cried all night. If I die at 62, many of my mates have gone a long time ago and if I die today, I’m a fulfilled person. But let it be recorded that I died resisting the invasion and killing of my people.
“If the elections will hold, we are good to go and by the grace of God, we will win. Benue is PDP and PDP is Benue state.”
Ortom is one of the governors in the camp of the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who are calling on the party to balance its executive positions between the northern and southern parts of the country.
The Wike camp has vowed it would not shift its position until Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the party’s national chairman.
You can reach out to me on Twitter via: vincent_ufuoma