Samuel Ortom, Governor of Benue State, has backed down on his previous claims that he had left the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was open to joining another party.
On Monday, Ortom announced his defection from the APC, saying he had been red-carded out of the ruling party and was now standing outside the football pitch “as a free man”.
“As for party, I have been given red card and I’m outside the pitch. So, if I have been given red card and I’m standing outside, I’m a free man,” he had said.
“So I don’t know what will happen next but I’m waiting. If others approach me, then I will tell the Benue people that I’m joining another football club. I’m a child of destiny and it’s only God that will decide what I will be.”
However, after meeting with Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the APC, on Thursday, Ortom sang a different tune.
“I am here in APC, a member of APC; I’m still flying the flag of APC and I only said I was given a red card,” he said this time.
“But the leadership of the party told me that the decision of the party leadership at the national level is superior to any individual’s, and I think this is good enough. We have spoken to him, he has spoken to me; stakeholders are going to be spoken to and that is where I belong.
“We have not concluded the matter, it is an ongoing process because I have always stood for peace and I always want peace to prevail. I appreciate the intervention and I hope that we would be able to resolve the matter of differences and this is the funny thing about politics.”
Ortom was one of the APC governors who met with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) camp on Wednesday ahead of a defection that is expected to happen next week.
