Ortom makes U-turn, says I’m not in support of Ayu’s removal

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has said he is not in support of the clamour for the removal of the embattled national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu.

In a statement issued Tuesday by his chief press secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, Ortom said insinuations that he is actively in support of the removal of Ayu who incidentally is his kinsman whom he helped to get into office, were false.

The governor was reacting to allegations by a group in the state, the Jemgbagh Development Association that claimed he was involved in the moves to remove Ayu, a fellow Benue politician.

Ortom said he has absolute confidence in Ayu’s ability to lead the party to victory in next year’s general election.

Part of the statement reads: “The governor could not turn around to work against Ayu to be removed from office.

“Governor Ortom has continued to vouch for the integrity and capacity of Dr Ayu to lead 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.

“Where was Jemgbagh Development Association, when Governor Ortom galvanised support from across the leaders of the party to make Dr. Ayu PDP’s national chairman? What was their contribution to that project that they now want to use clannish stance to blackmail the governor?”

Describing the allegations as mischievous, Ikyur said, “allegations by an amorphous, little known group parading itself as Jemgbagh Development Association, Abuja chapter, that the Benue governor has a hand in Ayu’s current travails,” is mischief. (Ripples Nigeria)