Former Benue State governor and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Chief Samuel Ortom has rejected reports claiming that he and other senior members of the party are considering replacing the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Pius Akutah.
Ortom described the reports circulating on social media as false and misleading, saying they misrepresented the purpose of a recent meeting involving some prominent Benue stakeholders.
In a statement released by his media assistant, Zege Terhide, the former governor said the report was a “mischievous” distortion of the discussions held during the meeting.
He explained that the meeting brought together himself, Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro, Aondoakaa and other notable Benue indigenes, including Chief Simon Shango, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, Dr Pius Akutah, Emmanuel Ameh and Dr Matthias Byuan.
According to Ortom, the gathering was
