Benue PDP crisis: Nobody can disband G14 – Ortom boasts

By Folorunsho Alagbede

Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said nobody has the right to disband the G-14 which is a pressure group of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state.
He stated this yesterday when the G14 paid a courtesy visit to him at his Makurdi residence.
Ortom charged the G-14 to continue to be the conscience of the party and continue to encourage and support the leadership of the party at all levels, beginning from the national to the ward.
He appreciated the G-14 for the visit and their selfless sacrifice for the party.
Chief Ortom used the opportunity to invite members of the party to the state congress scheduled for Thursday.
The leader of the group, Dr Laha Dzever commended Chief Ortom for the smooth conduct of the ward and local government congresses in the state.
He expressed confidence in the leadership of Chief Ortom to resolve any dispute within the party.
Dzever debunked the insinuation that G-14 was formed by an individual.
He disclosed that they formed the G-14 after Ortom became governor of Benue State in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and in their bid to rescue the party, the group was formed from elders from the 14 Tiv-speaking local governments.
Dzever assured Chief Ortom that as the leader of the party in the state, the G-14 are solidly behind him.
He restated the age-long tradition of the party which makes a governor the leader of the party in the state and where the governor is not a member of the party, the immediate past governor is the leader.
David Amo who spoke for Benue North East Senatorial District stated that the PDP was one and the leader of the party remains Chief Ortom.
Samuel Utov wondered why someone would claim to have disbanded G-14 when the G-14 is not the creation of the one who purportedly disbanded the group.
He stressed that even Chief Ortom who is the leader of the party in the state by virtue of his status as the immediate past governor cannot disband G-14, adding that only God can dissolve G-14.
Speaking for the women, the immediate past chairman of Ushongo Local Government, Veronica Gajir called on Chief Ortom to galvanize the party to return to power in 2027.
Speaking for the youths, Samuel Akough commended Ortom for his leadership of the party and, assuring him of the support of the youths.
Speaking on behalf of Sankera, the pioneer State Youth Leader of the PDP in Benue State, Joseph Nengean appreciated Ortom for the security in the area while he was governor, adding that the security situation in the area has deteriorated and prayed that no weapon fashioned against him shall prosper.
Chief Atsaga Anemba who spoke for Jechira restated Ortom’s leadership of the party, adding that it is the convention of the party and the reason elders of the party across Tiv land are behind the immediate past governor.
Speaking for the Jechira intermediate area, Elder Shimawa Adzaigba called on the G-14 to resolve the crisis in the party.
The National Ex-officio representing Benue State, Ortese Gbegi who spoke for Jemgbagh commended Ortom for his leadership of the party and smooth conduct of the ward and local government congresses in the state.
Responding on behalf of the 14 elected local government chairmen, the PDP chairman of Katsina-ala local government, Terseer Adigoh and PDP Chairman of Makurdi local government, Paul Tion all pledged their unflinching loyalty to Ortom and assured him of their support as he stirs the affairs of the party in the state.