Ortom Speaks On Fate Of G5 Governors Hours Before 2023 Presidential Election

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has insisted that there’s no crack within the ranks of the G5 Governors heading into the 2023 presidential election.

According to Ortom, there is no truth in certain reports claiming the other members of the G5 are in sharp disagreement with Governor Nyesom Wike over the choice of presidential candidate to support.

Naija News reports the G5 Governors – Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikepazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) had refused to campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The aggrieved Governors however did not publicly announce another candidate they’ll be supporting in Saturday’s election but reports have it that they have different individual differences and would be supporting different candidates.

While Ortom had publicly declared support for Labour Party’s Peter Obi, Wike is reportedly backing the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Following the development, certain reports claimed the difference has caused a sharp division among the Governors.

But responding to the claim, Governor Ortom in a statement through his media aide, Terver Akase, accused the online medium which published the story of peddling blatant lies.

He added that the G5 Governors had made it clear they were not pursuing any personal interest but only out to ensure justice, equity, and fairness.

The Benue Governor said those behind the story are those who hate to see the G5 together and therefore called on Nigerians to ignore the publication.

“The publication ‘quoted’ Governor Ortom as saying that the four members of the G-5 were in sharp disagreement with Governor Wike for opting to support the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu against the earlier decision of the group to support Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi,” Akase said in his statement.

“The said publication is apparently the handiwork of those who hate to see the G-5 together. The quotations attributed to Governor Ortom in the report are as fictitious as the publication itself. Those who want to see the G-5 split have run out of ideas and resorted to manufacturing fake news against the group,” he added.

Ortom added that the G5 Governors “remain united and committed to justice, equity and fairness as the hallmarks of democracy”.

“We advise the general public to disregard the publication and the statements credited to Governor Ortom as contained in it.”