Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said that he became poorer throughout his three years sojourn in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ortom, who recently defected from the ruling party to the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), assured that with former Senate Presidents David Mark, Iyorchia Ayu and ex-governor Gabriel Suswam, the party would win the 2019 governorship election in Benue State.
The governor, who was also a former minister, is seeking re-election on the platform of the PDP in next year’s election.
Speaking at the 81st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of PDP, in Abuja, Ortom described the PDP as his home, having served the party in various capacities including PDP State Secretary, State Deputy Chairman, PDP National Auditor, Director of Administration and Logistics of the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2011 among others.
“Though for obvious reasons, I had to undertake a journey but in that journey, I had too many travails and pains. I became poorer and all that I took along with me were destroyed,” he said.
According to him, “I am happy for all of you that have kept this home together and I am happy coming to meet it intact. And I am happy about our leaders, Senators David Mark, Senator Iyorcha Ayu and Governor Gabriel Suswam are here and we shall together work and build a better and stronger home.
“I want to assure you that we can go to sleep as we approach 2019 in Benue State with all these leaders with me”.
It would be recalled that last week, the governor was served impeachment notice by eight APC lawmakers of the Benue State House of Assembly, believed to be loyal to a serving senator, George Akume.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
