Benue State, Nigeria (August 6, 2024) – The crisis within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State continues to escalate as embattled party chairman John Ngbede addresses the suspension of former governor Samuel Ortom.
In a press briefing at the party secretariat on Otukpo Road on Tuesday, Ngbede provided insights into the reasons behind Ortom’s suspension. He accused the former governor and his associates of attempting to forcibly seize control of the party leadership and reverting to practices from the past characterized by malpractices and corruption.
Ngbede emphasized that only the national executive committee of the PDP has the authority to suspend him, dismissing any claims of his own suspension or that of his secretary and organizing secretary as baseless. He asserted, “Our tenure was set to end on August 4, but we are awaiting directives from the national secretariat. The state executive committee has no power to suspend me due to my role on the national executive.”
The PDP chairman underscored his commitment to reforming the party, insisting that the organization must not return to its previous state where electoral processes were manipulated. He stated, “The party belongs to the people, and we will not allow anyone to take us back to the old order of hijacking voting materials. We must ensure transparency and integrity in our congresses.”
During the press briefing, Ngbede and the organizing secretary were the only party officials present, reportedly preparing for a state executive committee meeting where the suspension of Ortom and others might be formalized.
In response, Samuel Ortom has rejected the suspension, asserting through his media aide Terver Akase that no such action against him is valid. Akase declared, “Ortom has not been suspended. He remains the leader of the party in the state, and any meeting held without his consent is considered null and void.” He further stated that Ngbede had been suspended for one month and, therefore, lacked the authority to convene meetings.
Ortom urged the suspended officials to cooperate with the party’s conflict resolution mechanism and attend the panel set up to investigate the issues at hand.
