2 months ago
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Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom
The crisis rocking the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has worsened, as the former governor, Gabriel Suswam, allegedly evicted the party from its secretariat.
The building accommodating the party secretariat located on Otukpo Road in Makurdi, the state capital, reportedly belonged to the former governor, who donated it to the party several years ago.
The former governor and his successor, Samuel Ortom, had been at loggerheads over the control of the party structure in the state since the beginning of the congresses.
The battle for superiority between the two leaders led to the suspension and counter-suspension of the leaders before the party’s National Working Committee set up a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.
The caretaker committee recently held a peace meeting with party leaders, where they agreed to set aside their differences and work together for the party’s progress.
In a twist of events, however, the committee members were reportedly evicted from the secretariat on Monday.
Following the development, the immediate-past governor, Ortom, reportedly provided accommodations for the party in one of his office complexes located in Makurdi.
Ortom, who spoke through his media aide, Terver Akase, on Monday, alleged that Suswam sealed off the secretariat in the early hours of Monday.
He said, “You know that it’s the former governor (Suswam ) who owns that building. He sealed off the building this morning and didn’t allow the caretaker committee to enter the office.
“As a result, the immediate past governor (Ortom), in his usual generosity, has donated his building to the party.”
But Suswam, speaking through his media aide, Bede Batholomew, dismissed the report that the secretariat was sealed off and asked those raising the allegations to provide proof.
He said, “They did not evict them; neither did they seal off the place and if they have any proof, they should provide it.
“The issue of eviction cannot arise because the party is not even a tenant as the building was only donated to the party.”
