Benue State Governor, Ortom Dumps APC For PDP

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has officially announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The governor made the announcement at a meeting with elected local government chairmen and councillors on Wednesday at the Government House Makurdi, hours after protesting youths barred him from traveling to Abuja to attend the APC reconciliation meeting.

The announcement brings to an end months of speculation that the governor will return to the PDP as a result of his disagreement with leaders of the party in Benue and at the national level.

His defection follows major political decisions in the state over the last three weeks. The governor recently sacked over 80% of his cabinet members and, on Tuesday the Benue House of Assembly impeached Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange, as its Speaker.

The development came barely nine days after the governor announced that the ruling party had given him a red card.

Ortom, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, had explained that, “As for party, I’ve been given the red card and I’m now outside the pitch. So, if I have been given the red card and I’m standing outside, that means I’m a free man.”