Akume imposes Ortom on Benue APC as governorship candidate

Benue APC has been engulfed in crisis following the imposition of Former Minister of Trade, Investment and Industry, Chief Samuel Ortom as the party’s governorship candidate by Senate Minority Leader, George Akume.
Ortom lost the PDP governorship primary on December 8, defected to APC on December 10 and became the party’s standard-bearer on December 12.
APC claimed that Chief Ortom emerged after other governorship aspirants stepped down for him at the end of a close door meeting brokered by the senate minority leader, Senator George Akume, in Makurdi.
APC governorship aspirants who allegedly stepped down for Chief Ortom are Mike Iordye, Akange Audu and Emmanuel Jime.
However, the same aspirants have written to the national secretariat of the party, claiming they were not part of the process that produced Ortom.
Chief Ortom will now face PDP candidate Terhemen Tarzor in the general elections.
In the last one week the Senate Minority Leader, Dr. George Akume, has admitted PDP bigwigs into APC family in Benue State.
First to dump PDP for APC is a former National Chairman of the PDP and BOT member, Chief Barnabas Gemade, who also picked the Benue North East senatorial seat ticket and will face Governor Gabriel Suswam.
Ortom has been a close associate of Senator Akume. His closeness to Akume compellled Governor Suswam to support Former Speaker Terhemen Tarzoor.