A resolution between Samuel Ortom, the Governor of Benue State, and Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, does not appear to be in the cards as the former claimed to have the authority to prevent Ortom from pursuing his Senate aspirations on the party’s platform.
The duo, who are both from the Benue North West senatorial district, got into an argument immediately after the party’s presidential primary poll, which chose Atiku Abubakar over Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State, as the party’s front-runner.
Since then, Senator Iyorchia Ayu’s resignation as the party chairman has been regularly demanded by Wike and his colleagues in Benue, Oyo, Abia, and Enugu as the sole solution to bring peace back to the main opposition party.
The governor’s aspirations to serve in the Senate are in jeopardy due to the Ayu/Ortom feud that has divided the party in Benue State. Ayu kinsmen in the Jemgbah axis have accused the governor of working with others to remove their son from his high office.
Speaking in the Tiv dialect to the gathering in Gboko on Friday, Senator Ayu assured his supporters that he had the authority to block any candidate for the party, especially in the state, in order to exact revenge for all of the insults that had been made against him.
But he noted that he has chosen to keep quiet out of respect for all fathers and in an effort to keep the party together.
He said, “I have been silent over all the things you are hearing against me because I don’t want any crack in the party I belong in my state, I have the powers to say you and you will not go anywhere because I will insist that I must sign before you go anywhere.
“But I have signed for all candidates produced by the PDP to go ahead in their dreams, whether I like it or not I signed.
“So I was doing that believing that I cannot shoot myself in the leg. I want Benue to come first by winning all elections so that Nigerians will say that the national chairman has delivered his state to PDP with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar winning 90 per cent of the votes and Titus Uba as governor in 2023.
Ayu warned his followers not to fear what some politicians were saying, adding,“Nothing should worry you, my people. Since I started politics more than 30 years ago, you have never rejected me, you are always supporting me. They say a prophet has no respect in his home, but my case is different I am overwhelmed by this great show of love.
“The PDP is one and not divided. I am trying my best not to disappoint the Benue people and Nigerians in general, so if you hear that they want to chase Ayu out as national chairman, don’t be worried; nobody is going to sack me as national chairman of our party. I will leave the seat on a day that God permits.
“It is God that enthrones leadership, He uses people to enthrone a person over others and protects that person. I want to assure you that all these days, God has been protecting me even when I went on sick leave abroad, God is still protecting me.
“The Tiv people have suffered so much in this country. We are yet to get our share of the national cake, so my charge to you is not to relent in prayers so that this time around come 2023, God will give us a president who will work closely with the Governor of our state to wipe out our tears.
“During senator J S Tarka’s era, God gave us a Fulani man, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, did he fight the Tiv nation? Did he kill our people? He appointed five ministers from Benue State and speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Chaha, Paul Unongo (Minister of steel), Isaac Shaahu (Minister of Communications), Mrs Elizabeth Ivase (Education Minister) and Audu Ogbeh etc.
“Another Fulani man, Yar Adua appointed a Tiv man, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, his Minister of Justice.
“Today, the standard bearer of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, who is not only a chieftaincy title holder of the Tiv people as the Zege Mule U Tiv, he is my friend, he told me his plans for the Tiv nation. That he will wipe away the tears of our people.
“So nobody should try to bring any troubles to you. I am telling you today, PDP is one party, a party that has divisions and does not win elections. No matter the strength of any party, if it does not have unity, it will lose elections.”
He urged the state’s residents to cast large numbers of votes for the party in order for it to be able to win in every election.