The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has placed a suspension on former Benue State’s Governor Samuel Ortom for reportedly carrying out anti-party activities.
Ortom reportedly bagged the suspension for directing Benue PDP members to vote for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against their own candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the 2027 presidential election.
Ortom was a member of the five G5 governors, led by then Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who opposed Atiku’s candidature.
Similarly suspended were three other prominent members of the party, who allegedly committed various offences.
The three were named as:
- Isaac Mffor, State Deputy Chairman of PDP
- Bemgba Iortyom, State Publicity Secretary
- Azua Ashongo, Vice Chairman of Zone A.
The statement said suspension took effect from Friday, August 2.
Tagging the suspended politicians’ offence as “gross insubordination and indiscipline,” the PDP State Working Committee (SWC) announced the suspension after a meeting of party leaders in Makurdi.
According to the Media Consultant of the PDP, Cornelius Hwande, Ortom’s suspension came as a result of supporting the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 election.
Hwande explained, “Ortom’s actions have been deemed as a betrayal to the party’s ethos and objectives, warranting his suspension.”
The statement reiterated that the party would not tolerate such deviations from loyalty and discipline, especially from its high-ranking members.
Furthermore, the suspension of Mffor and Iortyom was linked to their alleged involvement in the snatching of Congress materials intended for the ward congresses conducted last Saturday in Buruku and Ushongo local government areas.
