GOVERNOR of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has faulted the disciplinary action taken against him by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over his alleged involvement in anti-party activities.
The governor described the decision referring him to the party’s disciplinary committee as “contemptuous” in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur on Thursday, March 23.
Ortom said the PDP disregarded a Court Order which barred the party and its organs from issuing any disciplinary measure against him.
The statement said, “The case is pending in court and there is an order of injunction restraining all organs of the party from carrying out disciplinary actions against the Governor. This Case is adjourned to 18th April 2023 and so it is baffling to see such a statement coming from the national leadership of the party.
“I think the national leadership of our party is losing its sense of direction. Instead of the leadership to sit back and think of ways of rebuilding the party following the aftermath of the just concluded elections, they are going about chasing imaginary shadows.”
Ortom, who campaigned for Peter Obi of the Labour Party against his party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the build up to the 2023 general elections, noted that the PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu should be the “first” to face the disciplinary committee.
In an interview with Arise TV, Ortom accused Ayu of leading Atiku to the gutters. He also blamed the national chairman’s actions for the party’s failure to win the presidential poll.
“As if that is not enough, there are strong indications that the national chairman was involved in anti-party activities in Benue State by working for the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, just to get at me because of my principled stand against certain aspects of the decisions of the national leadership of the party.”
Ortom lost his senatorial bid to Titus Zam of the APC, his former Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Meanwhile, the PDP has suspended some of its chieftains over alleged anti-party activities. These include former governor of Ekiti State Ayodele Fayose and former President of the Senate, Pius Anyim.
The party also suspended Aslam Aliyu and Dennis Ityavyar, members of the party in Zamfara and Benue states, respectively.
Sinafi Omanga is a multimedia journalist and researcher with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. He has a keen interest in humanitarian reporting, social justice, and environment.
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@OmangaSinafi
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somanga@icirnigeria.org