Benue North-West: Why Ortom Lost Senatorial Poll To APC – Aide

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Terver Akase has said his principal’s loss of the senatorial election to candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because of the alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party.

Akase said the enthusiasm being shown by some members and supporters of the APC in the state after defeating his principal will be favourable for the PDP in the upcoming Saturday gubernatorial election.

Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Akase asserted that Governor Ortom’s loss of the Senate race to the APC was due to his alliance with the Labour Party for the presidential contest.

Recall that Ortom, who is one of the aggrieved governors elected under the platform of the PDP, had prior to the presidential election, pitched his tent with the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi.

Ortom had publicly endorsed Peter Obi, in contrast to Nyesom Wike, the aggrieved governors’ group known as the G-5, who chose to support Bola Tinubu, the APC candidate and the current president-elect.

According to Ortom, he would not mind losing his senatorial bid while ensuring that a leader with track records emerges as Nigerian president.

Although opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party alleged that the February 25 election was marred by irregularities, the NEC had declared the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu winner.

The former Lagos governor scored a total of 8,794,726 votes, the highest of all the candidates, thus meeting the first constitutional requirement to be declared the winner of the poll.

Atiku polled a total of 6,984,520 votes in the election, while Peter Obi came third in the election with a total of 6,101,533 votes.

In Benue, Tinubu polled a total of 310,468 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Peter Obi who also garnered 308,372 votes.

In a similar vein, Ortom who aspired to represent the Benue North-west Senatorial zone at the upper chamber, was defeated by Titus Zam of the APC.

While Ortom polled 106,882 votes, in the election, Zam, his former aide garnered 143,151 votes

Speaking on the matter, Akase told newsmen that despite the victory by the APC, the state’s ruling party has the majority, insisting that PDP would emerge victorious in the Saturday governorship and state assembly elections.

He said, “Forget what happened, that was because we combined with the Labour Party. Our votes were divided. But if you put Labour Party and PDP votes together, you will have over four hundred thousand.

“APC don’t have the majority here. If they are beating the drums around that they are the majority, they will be ashamed of themselves.

“They are celebrating everywhere but it’s good for us, let them continue to celebrate, by the time the thing hits them, they will continue to run to court and cry foul but we are not going to cheat, we are not going to rig, we have the majority and our people will vote for Titus Uba overwhelmingly”.