The
leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved to prevent Samuel
Ortom, Governor of Benue State, from leaving the party.
On Monday,
Ortom announced his departure from the APC, saying he had been red-carded out
of the ruling party and was now standing outside the football pitch “as a free
man”.
“As for
party, I have been given red card and I’m outside the pitch. So, if I have been
given red card and I’m standing outside, I’m a free man,” he said.
“So I don’t
know what will happen next but I’m waiting. If others approach me, then I will
tell the Benue people that I’m joining another football club. I’m a child of
destiny and it’s only God that will decide what I will be.”
It has now
emerged that Lawal Shu’aibu, Deputy National Chairman (North) of the APC,
reached out to Ortom as well as George Akume, a former Benue Governor — the two
men involved in the tussle for the state leadership of the party — for an
“urgent meeting” in Abuja.
Earlier on
Monday, Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the party, had refused to accept
that Ortom had indeed left the party, saying it was all “rumours”.
“This party
will not comment on the basis of rumours and I am sure eventually we will find
out the fact of the matter and based on those facts we would act,” Oshiomhole
ha said.
“I know that
Governor Ortom is a prominent member of the party. He has said repeatedly to me
one on one that he will not leave the APC unless he was pushed out.
“I have
since assumed the chairmanship of this party along with my brothers and sisters
in the National Working Committee and I know that we have not shut out any
Governor, certainly not Governor Ortom. So in these days of social media, I
will not want to make comment on unverified report.”
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