Benue Gov. Ortom disappointed with Plateau PDP – Tapgun

By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

A former Governor of Plateau State, Amb. Fedelis Tapgun, has said that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State is disappointed with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State .

Tapgun said a factional group of the Plateau PDP may have  swimddled Ortom of a large sum of N10 million, being money sent to the caretaker committee nominated by the Ortom-led committee to settle, reconcile the party and conduct  State Congress within 30 or 90 days from the day it was inaugurated.  

Speaking to NATIONAL DAILY Correspondent in Jos, Plateau State,  on Thursday, on the unending crises rocking the party, Tapgun said the national body of the party is also helping to kill the PDP in Plateau State.

Recall that a rancorous State Congress  was conducted in August 2020, with a former Commissioner for Works, Chris Hassan, emerging as the State Chairman of the PDP.

Before the Congress, PDP stakeholders were in Benue at the instance of Ortom-led committee where an elaborate meeting was held, with a resolution that a caretaker committee will be put in place to resolve all the issues at stake that will lead to the withdrawal of all litigations in court.

The resolution also stipulated that the caretaker committee would have within 30 to 90 days to resolve all matters , then, conduct State Congress.

However, after three days of having the committee come on board with a Chairman, Sen. Suleiman Adokwe, they slated a date for the State Congress to be held without recourse to all the agreement reached with Ortom.

Meanwhile, the Governor had earlier realeased the some of N10 million to the committee to comence assignment given to them which was supposed to elaps within 30 to 90 days, but rather than get to work, they quickly fixed a date for elections in three days after inauguration, our correspondent gathered.

Piqued by the development, 40 of the aspirants for the State Congress, led by a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, pulled out of the election for lack of transparency and sincerity, our correspondent reports.

Consequently the elections held and produced Chris Hassan as PDP State Chairman in Plateau,, a development which has further splited the party as the 40 aggrieved members vowed to run a parallel Party structure.

“Receiving the news, Ortom said never again will he interfere in Plateau PDP affairs,” Tapgun told our Correspondent, adding that “with the  status quo, the State PDP will not win election in Plateau.”

“How can they win election when a large shunk of the party members are outside,” Tapgun repeated.

He said the Chris Hassan led faction came to him after the election but he refused to congratulate them.

“I told Chris Hassan that I will not congratulate him because due process was not followed. I told him that the party must be reconciled and fresh Congress be conducted because that is the right thing to do,” Tapgun said.