Why I Denied Alia PDP Governorship Ticket in 2023 – Ortom

June 23 () — Immediate past governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom has thrown light on why he denied Governor Hyacinth Alia a governorship ticket in the 2023 general election under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), saying priests are not good administrators in governance.

Former governor Ortom who disclosed on Tuesday while playing host to members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists at his Makurdi residence, argued that he wanted Fr Alia to concentrate and practice the priesthood.

According to him, Governor Alia later convinced the All Progressives Congress (APC), a platform with which he clinched the ticket and subsequent election as governor in the 2023 general election.

“Today, I am justified because the Alia administration is a monumental failure. How can he present only eleven road projects for commissioning by the wife of the President within three years in office,” Ortom asked.

“This is the governor who has received over N1 trillion from the Federation Accounts in three years apart from other revenue sources.

“To cover his inadequacies, he has hastily brought up the issue of N139.8 billion fraud against my governorment aim at diverting attention from unsuspecting members of the public”, Ortom stated.

The PDP leader in Benue State pointed out that he had a clean bill of financial dealings throughout his eight years in office, challenging the governor to come out for a debate on leadership and stewardship.

“My successor claimed not to be sharing money with people, but sharing the same for himself, family members, and his cronies. Those who abandoned the priesthood never do well in politics and are not good administrators because they believe in ‘yes father’, and not contrary views”, he stated.

He accused Alia of smearing his name with lies, saying he has forgiven him, pointing out that the former Benue State governor, Revd Fr Moses Orshio Adasu of blessed memory started well in his first six months in office before deviating from the track.

While apologising for his outburst to retire Senator George Akume from politics, Ortom noted Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume is politically stronger than him.

“I respect and recognize him as a Benue political leader such that together we can salvage Benue and Nigeria. Alia has a golden opportunity to unite Benue people but is carried away by power drunkenness”, Ortom alleged.

He explained that the strategic partnership between Senator Akume and the People’s Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 general election is for the good of Benue State.

He posited that Alia will surely lose out due to unresolved internal squabbles within the APC and strong opposition parties going hard on him during the electoral process.