Youths in Benue state yesterday prevented the state governor, Samuel Ortom, from attending an APC reconciliatory meeting, saying they do not want the party in their state.
Recall that last week, Governor Ortom announced that he was in search of a new party as members of the state APC have kicked him out as they are opposed to his second term bid.
APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomole, later came out to state that Ortom‘s claims were false and that the governor is still very much in their party.
Yesterday morning while on his way of the governormwnt house, the youths under the aegis of Coalition of Benue Youths (CBY), barricaded the entrance and asked him not to attend the meeting. They threatened to vote him out if he attends the meeting.
Governor Ortom had no choice but to turn back into the government house.
Ortom defects to PDP
At last, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday formally announced his defection from the All Progessives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party.
This is coming a day after the APC lost 13 of its senators and 37 of its House of Representatives members to the PDP, thus giving the majority status to the former ruling party in the Senate.
Ortom made the declaration during the meeting with local government chairmen and their councillors at the new banquet hall of the Government House, Makurdi.
Thirteen local government chairmen and 276 councillors were in attendance.
Ortom, who said that despite the intervention of the national leadership of the APC, the “state chapter of the party has continued to launch attack on me.”
“This morning, I had wanted to go to Abuja to attend the meeting but some youths in the state refused, they asked me to go back.
“But let me formally inform this gathering that I have forwarded my resignation letter from the APC to the chairman of my council ward and he has promised to join me in the new party,” Ortom declared.
Immediately he announced his resignation from the APC, the governor displayed his resignation letter to the people.
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“As I talk to you, 10 out of 17 state lawmakers of the APC are ready to follow me to the new party. May I formally announce to you that I have formally moved to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,” Ortom declared.
Earlier, the 13 council chairmen and leaders of the legislative council in attendance promised to follow the governor to the PDP to ensure his re-election aspiration.