As a stickler for rule of law, i don’t use thugs for elections, Benue Gov

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom has stated that as a stickler for the rule of law, he has never used thugs either during elections or at any other time and so does not patronise them, contrary to the claims by a former

Local Government Chairman in the State.

Ortom has similarly dismissed claim by the same Council Chairman that supporters of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in Benue State, were targeted for assault by some youths allegedly sponsored by him (the Governor).

The immediate past Chairman of Ushongo Local Government of the State, Joseph Asawa, had at a press conference, addressed by him, made spurious allegations against Governor Samuel Ortom.

However, the Governor, in a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Nathaniel Ikyur described the allegations by Asawa as false, misleading and a calculated attempt to use the name of the Governor and win cheap sympathy from the Atiku Abubakar camp.

According to Ikyur, Governor Ortom could not have condescended so low to direct his supporters to molest anyone at the Gboko rally as violence has never been part of his style of politics.

According to the statement, “Asawa is a beneficiary of the Governor’s peaceful disposition as he (Ortom) had at different times intervened between the former Ushongo council chairman and either his legislative council members or other stakeholders when his tenure lasted.

“Governor Ortom is a stickler for the rule of law. He has never used thugs either during elections or at any other time and so does not patronise them, contrary to the claims by the former council chairman.

“It is a fact that Governor Ortom facilitated the nomination and subsequent election of Hon Asawa as the Executive Chairman of Ushongo Local Government in 2020. He will therefore won’t go back to destroy what he helped build.

“From the outbursts of Hon Asawa, it is obvious that he wants to take advantage of the call for fairness and equity by the G-5 Governors which Governor Ortom is a member to be recognized by the camp of the presidential candidate of our party.

“We, therefore, urge the general public to discountenance the claims of the former Ushongo chairman that the thugs who allegedly manhandled him during the campaign rally were sent by the Governor”, the statement said.