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2023: Gov Ortom declares support for Atiku, preaches unity

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The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Monday declared his support for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The PDP has been rocked by crisis over the handling of the process leading to the emergence of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

The development divided the party into two groups, with a section loyal to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, demanding the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, over his role in the matter.

Atiku, who featured in an interview on Arise TV at the weekend, said he picked Okowa out of the three options presented to him by a Committee chaired by Ortom because he could work with him.

READ ALSO: Ortom lied, PDP committee never voted for Wike as my running mate —Atiku

He said: “I didn’t reject Wike, I picked who can deliver. Wike is brilliant and tenacious. Going by history, I picked an Igbo as running mate in 2007, in 2019. I still picked an Igbo as running mate for 2023.

“The committee that presented the three nominees was chaired by the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. They recommended three people, so I picked one. People should be fair to me and state the facts.”

Ortom, who reacted to the former vice president’s claim on his Twitter handle, said: “I will not contradict @atiku on what he said. He is my candidate and I am behind him. Whatever happened in the course of the primary and nomination of the presidential running mate is now a thing of the past. The PDP is a family, and we will always settle our matters in-house.”

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