PDP crisis: Dismissing Wike dangerous, Ortom warns

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) about the consequences of dismissing isues raised by his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike.

Ortom told Benue PDP stakeholders at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, that it was dangerous for the party to think that it could dismiss Wike with the wave of hand.

The governor said Wike had suffered injustice in the party and advised that the injustice should be addressed forthwith.

Ortom said, “The idea of dismissing people in politics that they do not matter is dangerous, because a single vote counts in politics.

“Injustice has been meted to Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers and it must be addressed. Justice must be served him. Wike stood and supported the party and he should be given due attention.”

Ortom said the leadership of the party had failed to use its internal mechanism and conflict management skills to handle the crisis.

He said, “There is injustice that has been meted to my friend Wike because he stood for the party and supported it to the end.

“The leadership of the party should do the needful to resolve the problem and not to shove people around as though they are not relevant. Everyone is relevant and one vote can make you fail election.

“So, the leadership at the national level should do more. Politics is interest and what is the interest of out state and our people. What do I tell my people in Benue?”

According to Ortom, “If you dismiss us that you don’t need us, I believe that will be dangerous. I want the party to address the injustices so that as we move into election, we will work together and we will have no crisis.”

The governor said the stakeholders’ meeting was organised to discuss the formation of the campaign council.

Ortom, who declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been de-marketed in Benue, stated that the PDP has 26 of 30 members of the state House of Assembly.

He urged PDP members to keep faith with the party to win victory and appealed to aggrieved members to sheathe their swords.

He said, “PDP in Benue is united. All blackmail should cease in the state; crisis not in Benue but at the national level.”