BREAKING: APC reacts to Ortom’s defection to PDP, speaks on fielding Jime, Dickson Akoh for governor

The All Progressives Congress in Benue State has reacted to the defection of the state governor, Samuel Ortom to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Ortom had on Wednesday announced his defection to his former part – PDP, after earlier claiming that the APC had red-carded him.

Speaking exclusively with IDOMA VOICE shortly after Ortom’s defection, the party’s Director of Publicity, Peterhot Apeh, described the governor’s exit from the party as a call for celebration.

Apeh said all efforts by the APC in Benue to reshape Ortom, who came into the party ‘with PDP spirit’ failed, hence his refusal to perform.

“Yes, we are celebrating his exit because our efforts to midwife him to become a responsible leader failed.

“He came on board with the PDP spirit that was why he failed to utilize all the money given to him. In fact, we are not going to miss him because APC does not identify with failure,” Apeh said.

Asked why it took them that long to realize that Ortom was a monumental failure, the party’s scribed said, “Well, like our elders would say, you don’t kill you goat because it has a long neck. We did all we could to midwife him into a better person but the PDP blood in him could not allow him perform, that was why he’s owing workers and pensioners millions of naira in Benue.

“When he could not longer change, he quickly issued himself a red card, and in soccer, if you are given a red card, you are to miss the next two matches, so he should wait until 2027 before aspiring for any political office in Benue state. Until then, Ortom’s political career has crept into a cultural pot of time,” Apeh said.

Asked to react to the report that the party was planning to field Emmanuel Jime as its governorship candidate and Dickson Akoh as running mate, Apeh said, “Well, the party is yet to decide on that because the room is open for anyone to aspire.

“We would get to know who would fly the party’s flag after the primaries.”