Samuel Ortom, a former governor of Benue State, said on Wednesday that Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of Nigeria and the PDP’s candidate for president in 2023, is upset with him because he and the other members of the G5 refused to form “Special Purpose Vehicles” (SPVs) to work against Nigerians’ determination to elect a president from the south.
PM news report that, He continued by saying that Atiku was also upset with him because he had the audacity to speak the truth about, among other things, how Fulani herdsmen had been killing Benue residents.
Ortom further urged the PDP candidate to avoid blaming others for his election defeat in the statement provided by his media assistant, Terver Akase.
The former governor’s comment is in response to one made earlier by Atiku’s assistant Phrank Shaibu, who claimed that the G5 members were conspiring against him in order to secure posts and immunity from punishment for financial crimes.
But Ortom’s assistant insisted that nothing could be further from the truth.
PM news report that, Atiku should not accuse anyone of wrongdoing, he continued, and he should refrain from using blackmail as a weapon.
Mr. Akase stated: “We read a statement credited to the former vice president and PDP presidential candidate for 2023, Atiku Abubakar, claiming that Samuel Ortom, the outgoing governor of Benue State, and members of the G-5 conspired against him during the most recent election but are still facing corruption charges at the EFCC and are being shielded by President Bola Tinubu.
“We are unsure whether the PDP presidential candidate’s special assistant on public communication had his approval before making the statement; if he had, he would not have cited the G-5 as the reason for his defeat at the polls.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar ought to be more concerned given that he made political history by becoming the first president of a major party to be rejected by significant constituencies, including five Governors who are currently in office and several other party members.
“He should be troubled by the subject of why the G-5 and other Integrity Group participants rejected his candidature. Nigerians saw the undeniable facts included in the Integrity organisation’s position and voted for a presidential candidate from the south after the organisation stood for justice, equity, and fairness that the 2023 presidency must go to the country’s south.
Ganandaji (
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