Cattle stealing: Atiku must apologise for lying against me — Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has asked the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to apologise for allegedly lying against him.

Ortom said this when he received a group under the aegis of Jemgbagh Youths, on a protest at the Government House, Makurdi, over alleged lies against the governor by Atiku.

He stated that the former Vice President should make a public apology for alleging that his brothers were stealing herdsmen’s cattle in the state.

“Immediately I heard the news, I sent him a message on WhatsApp and he apologised to me.

“I told him to make the apology public but he declined, and I am saying he cannot undress an elder like me in public and then come back to dress me in a room.

“He lied against me and I take exceptions to that because what he said is hate speech,” Governor Ortom said.

The governor further faulted Atiku’s claim that he issued a blanket condemning all Fulani people as bad, saying he never said that.

“Some Fulani people are my friends, I trust them to a point of even taking them to my bedroom and I have not sent any Fulani man away from Benue.

“It is only the foreign ones that came from Mali, Mauritania among others that are terrorising our people.

“Atiku, you have been very unfair to Benue people and Fulani people alone cannot make you the president,” he added.

Ortom, however, said in spite of the crisis in the PDP, he would work toward its victory at all levels in the state.

The governor stated that no matter what happened, “a baby cannot be thrown away with the birth water.”

“I am committed to the victory of the party at all levels in the state,” he said.

Governor Ortom commended President Muhammadu Buhari for condemning the attacks by suspected herdsmen in Gbeji, Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

On his part, the Chairman of Gboko LGA, Isaac Mtom, said the group visited the governor to identify with him over his developmental strides as well condemn Atiku’s outburst.

Mtom said Atiku’s statement clearly showed that he did not meant well for the people of Benue State.

The Star