Benue 2019: Ortom will lose re-election if he contests under APC – John Akperashi

Former chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC in Benue state, John Akperashi has advised the state governor, Samuel Ortom to seek alternative platform to actualise his second term aspiration.

The house of representative aspirant said that the governor would lose woefully if he contests under the platform of the ruling APC.

Akperashi who spoke to Journalists in Makurdi on Wednesday emphasized that the governor has no chance in actualizing his aspiration under APC saying, ‘all indices are against him in APC’.

He explained that the governor has no structure in the party adding that the APC party at present can notwin any election in the state following the massacre of the people in the state since January.

“To an average Benue person, the APC is seen as Miyetti Allah party that has preference for cows over human beings.

The party lacks credibility and is insensitive to the plight of the people.

“I know very well that gov Ortom is not comfortable in the APC. If he is pretending then that is his own problem. It is either he is just playing along or playing to the gallery. He is just buying time to take his decision and at the appropriate time, he will just leave.

” But he has the resources so he can do whatever he likes at any time but some of us are still growing. If what is obtainable in the APC I do not see him winning elections.”

He noted that the governor has a brighter chance in securing his second term because of his stance against the killings in the state which prompted the enactment of the anti open grazing law.

“Yes, he has done his best and I give him kudos for that. I have said it often that put Suswam and Ortom, he has done well more than the former in terms of protecting the lives of his people and fighting herdsmen because of the law he collaborated with Benue people to sign.”

Akperashi who explained the reason why he resigned from APC lamented that all the people who followed governor Ortom to APC from PDP have been pushed aside including the governor.

“In everything, the people have pushed us aside and when I saw all these things, I told the governor but I could see that there was nothing he could do because even in his local government, ‘Guma’, the persons elected during the ward and local government congreses were not his loyalists.

” His hands were tied. No single person who followed him from PDP to APC had his interest protected. I told him that as a governor you can have your way but for me I cannot continue to be part of this arrangement where I will be doing political work and someone else will take the glory”, Akperashi lamented.