By ‘Dotun Akintomide
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom might have dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress for the Peoples Democratic Party, but it was not without the influence of many irated youths who insisted he must make the decision Wednesday after months of speculation.
The New Diplomat gathered earlier in the day that a coalition of Benue youths comprising of over forty groups had prevented Governor Samuel Ortom from attending a scheduled meeting with the All Progressives Congress, APC, National leadership in Abuja.
The Governor was leaving Government House, Makurdi for the trip when they blocked his route carrying placards.
Some of the placards read “Ortom don’t go back to APC,” “We don’t have land to donate for ranching,” “APC is Miyetti party,” Our farms are not for cows,” You must leave APC,” Ortom is our party, ” and “2019: On Ortom we stand.”
The coalition’s spokesmen, Terrence Kuanum, and Pastor Dave Ogbole advised the Governor not to make the trip for further discussions with the APC leadership on his membership of the party but to rather look for an alternative platform.
They threatened that if he attended the meeting they would vote him out in 2019.
To underscore their anger, they ordered that the APC flag should be removed from the Governor’s official car immediately and the Governor’s driver complied.
Governor Ortom who was already on his way to Abuja for the meeting with the APC leaders pleaded with the youths to allow him attend the meeting, assuring that their interest would be protected.
But the youths, however, refused, insisting that, the only option available to them was for the Governor to make a U-turn.
He turned back with his entourage.
It was learnt that the youths angrily removed the APC flag on the Governor’s vehicle and asked him to go back to Government House, threatening to vote him out if he insists on going to Abuja for the meeting. But the youths, however, refused, insisting that, the only option available to them was for the Governor to make a u turn.
