Benue State governor Samuel Ortom, has broken ranks with his Rivers State counterpart Nyesom Wike in his insistence that People Democratic Party chairman Iyorchia Ayu as a condition for unity to return to the PDP ahead of the 2023 presidential elections. The PDP flag-bearer Abubakar Atiku has been trying in vain to rein in Wike and his group after he lost the presidential primaries in Abuja. Ortom was one of the vocal critics of Ayu remaining as Party chairman, but he made a u-turn after he was accused of trying to sabotage the effort of another Benue man.
A statement by his press secretary Nathaniel Ikyur said: “The governor cannot turn around to work against Ayu to be removed from office. “Governor Ortom vouched for the integrity and capacity of Dr Iyorchia Ayu to lead and rebuild the PDP to victory and rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the APC maladministration. That is why Ayu was returned unopposed by the northern caucus of the party and got elected as the national chairman of the PDP at the party’s convention.”
