You Don’t Have The Power To Stop My Senatorial Ambition – Ortom Replies Ayu

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, does not have the power to stop his senatorial aspiration.

Recall that Ayu, while addressing his supporters in Gboko, his country home last week, boasted that he has the power to stop Ortom and others in the state who are calling for his resignation from realising their ambition if he so desired.

The PDP national chairman, however, said as a father of all party members and in his quest to avoid a crack in the party, he has decided to remain silent.

He had said, “I have been silent over all the things you are hearing against me because I don’t want any crack in the party I belong in my state, I have the powers to say you and you will not go anywhere because I will insist that I must sign before you go anywhere.

“But I have signed for all candidates produced by the PDP to go ahead in their dreams, whether I like it or not I signed.

“So I was doing that believing that I cannot shoot myself in the leg. I want Benue to come first by winning all elections so that Nigerians will say that the national chairman has delivered his state to PDP with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar winning 90 percent of the votes and Titus Uba as governor in 2023.”

Speaking with The Punch on Tuesday through his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, Governor Ortom said Ayu does not have to power to stop his senatorial aspiration given to him by party delegates.

“If he had the power, why didn’t he do it then? Does he (Ayu) have the power to invoke the process already conducted and passed by delegates?” he queried.