Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has accused the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of trying to blackmail and intimidate him.
He stated that Ayu was mounting a smear campaign against him because he is among those calling for the removal or resignation of the PDP Chairman.
It was reported that the G-5 PDP Governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State have called for Ayu’s resignation as a condition to support the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking on Sunday during a meeting with Ayu’s kinsmen, known as the Jemgbagh PDP Elders Forum comprising leaders from Gboko, Tarka, and Buruku Local Government Areas, LGAs, the governor debunked insinuations that he was pulling down a Jemgbagh son.
According to Ortom, who is seeking to go to the Senate in 2023, he actually rallied support for the election of Senator Ayu as national chairman against all odds.
Governor Ortom noted that because he was contesting for the Benue North-West Senatorial district seat, he had become a subject of intimidation and blackmail by some Jemgbagh stakeholders because of his stance for justice and fairness and call on Dr. Ayu who is from the same senatorial zone with him, to resign.
He said: “Power is given by God and no one should blackmail me because of my senatorial ambition. Nobody should think he will intimidate me because of the senate election. If God ordains me to be elected Senator for the Benue North-West Senatorial zone, no amount of blackmail or intimidation can prevent me from winning.”
