The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, says he’s not done anything to warrant being subjected to any disciplinary action by the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said the National Chairman of the PDP Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu, should be the one facing the party’s disciplinary panel for anti-party activities and not him.
Ortom said this in response to an earlier statement by the Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee referring him to the party’s National Disciplinary Committee over alledged anti-party activities.
He said Ayu should be explaining to party members how he lost his poling unit, ward, local government and state during the last general elections instead of chasing shadows.
Ortom also dismissed his referral to the disciplinary panel over alleged anti-party activities as contempt of a subsisting Court Order.
The PDP NWC also earlier suspended former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, his Ex-Katsina State counterpart, Barr. Ibrahim Shema, former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim and two others for the same offence.
Ortom responded, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur.
The statement read in part, “Governor Ortom said it is contemptuous of the leadership of the PDP to disregard the Court Order which barred the party or any organ of the party from issuing any disciplinary measure against him. “
Ikyur said , “the case is pending in court and there is an order of injunction restraining any organ of the party from carrying out any disciplinary action against the governor.
“This Case is adjourned to 18th April 2023 and so it is baffling to see such a statement coming from the national leadership of the party.”
He quoted his principal as saying, “I think the national leadership of our great party is losing its sense of direction.
“ Instead of the leadership to sit back and think of ways on how to rebuild the party from the ruins of the defeat from the just concluded elections, they are going about chasing imaginary shadows.
“In any case, the first person the party should refer to the disciplinary committee should be the national chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
“The national chairman lost his polling unit, lost his ward, local government, and even the state.
“As if that is not enough, there are strong indications that the national chairman was involved in anti-party activities in Benue State by working for the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, just to get at me because of my principled stand against certain aspects of the decisions of the national leadership of the party.”
The Governor said the party should not be allowed to be ridiculed by some individuals who are bent on destroying the party for their selfish gains