NASS elections: Gov Ortom finally accepts defeat, withdraws case from tribunal

By Musa Baba Adamu

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has finally accepted the outcome of the Benue North West Senatorial election which took place on February 25.
Recall that Ortom of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who is expected to complete his second term in office on May 29, contested for the senatorial position but lost to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
While Ortom polled 106,882 votes, Titus Zam of the APC scored 143,151 votes, while Mark Gbillah, the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, garnered 51,950 votes.
The governor had since rejected the results, alleging irregularities by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, saying the poll was clinically rigged.
Ortom and the PDP had petitioned the election tribunal seeking to overturn the victory of Zam.
However, addressing journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, the governor declared that he has decided to withdraw the case in a bid to maintain the existing peace in the state.
He said, “Though there was glaring evidence of malpractices including non-transmission of results electronically during the conduct of the Benue North West Senatorial election, I have taken the decision to withdraw my case from the tribunal.
“As the Bible says in John 3:27 “A man can receive nothing, except it is given to him from heaven”.
“Let me add that the decision to withdraw my case from the court is in the interest of peace and without prejudice to the suits filed by other candidates of our party, PDP”.