PDP govs want assassination attempt on Ortom probed

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under the aegis of PDP Governors Forum have

have tasked the nation’s security agencies and other authorities of state to investigate the weekend’s  assassination attempt on the Governor of Benue State,  Dr Samuel Ortom without any delay.

The PDP Governors’ Forum, under the chairmanship of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal maintained that the assassination attempt must be investigated swiftly and thoroughly with a view to bringing the perpetrators  to justice.

The Forum, in a statement signed by Tambuwal,, expressed shock at the assassination attempt on the Governor Ortom.

The PDP Governors’ Forum warned that

any attempt to harm any Nigerian will be viewed by the Forum as an attempt on “all of us”.

It expressed the strong belief that that any dispute or perceived dispute should be and must be resolved amicably without resort to violence.

The statement reads, “The PDP-Governors Forum has received with shock the assassination attempt on the Governor of Benue State, H.E. Dr Samuel Ortom.

“We wish therefore to warn that any attempt to harm any Nigerian will be viewed by the Forum as an attempt on all of us.

“We believe strongly that any dispute or perceived dispute should be and must be resolved amicably without resort to violence.

“Nigeria is not  a  Babana Republic, even though certain retrogressive elements and centrifugal forces are trying to consign Nigeria into a failed state.

“It remains the primary responsibility of government, especially the Federal government, who have monopoly of the coercive forces of state, to secure the lives and livelihoods of our people, however low or high.

“Every Nigerian deserves equal protection of the laws.

Every citizen is entitled to freedom of speech and free exercise of all rights guaranteed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, subject only to law.

“Nigeria is still a democracy and a nation of laws and not men.

“Nobody, or group however highly placed should take the laws into their  hands, even though some highly placed Federal government ministers seem to have surrendered to the nefarious activities of miscreants and mischief makers, bent on destabilising the nation. Self help is an invitation to anarchy and must be nipped in the bud.

“The PDP Governors are solidly united and are behind His Excellency, Governor Dr Samuel Ortom and will do the utmost to defend the rights and prerogatives of the Benue people who elected him.

“We expect the security agencies and other authorities of state to investigate this matter swiftly and thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Enough is clearly enough”, it said.