By Peter Duru, Makurdi
MAKURDI — Former Benue State Governor and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Samuel Ortom, has dismissed reports alleging that he and other party leaders are planning to replace the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Pius Akutah.
Ortom, in a statement issued by his Media Assistant, Zege Terhide, described the report circulating on social media as a “mischievous” distortion of a recent meeting involving prominent Benue stakeholders.
The former governor explained that he, alongside the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, and the PDP governorship candidate, Aondoakaa, met with prominent Benue indigenes, including Chief Simon Shango, Prof Iyorwuese Hagher, Dr Pius Akutah, Emmanuel Ameh and Dr Matthias Byuan.
According to him, the meeting was part of ongoing consultations aimed at building a broad strategic alliance among Benue stakeholders in the overall interest of the state.
