Ex-Benue Governor Ortom backs suspension of PDP Chairman, says he’s behind party’s woes

Ex-governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom has expressed concern over the endless crises rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

He threw his support behind the decision of the National Working Committee, NWC to suspend the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and five members of the National Working Committee of the party.

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Ortom in a statement by his Media Adviser Terver Akase on Sunday, which made available to journalists said, crisis in PDP was due to the lack of cohesion of the party’s internal leadership.

He said Damagun’s poor handling of inevitable differences lead to deepening crisis within the party.

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He has called for unity and a cease-fire among party factions to resolve the issues amicably.

Ortom lamented that his pieces of advice that would have brought peace into the party were ignored, noting that had his advices were heeded to by the party leadership, there would’ve been win-win situation for all stakeholders.

At the opportune time the party leadership was expected to rise above personal interest, it didn’t, hence, party’s fate was hanged on balances at the greatest risk.

The former Governor maintained that democracy is fundamentally about inclusion and consensus-building, not high-handedness or exclusion.

“Democracy thrives when people of diverse views and interests come together to find common ground for the good of all.

“It is, therefore, the responsibility of leaders to harmonize differing opinions and create a sense of belonging among members. Unfortunately, what we have witnessed in recent times is an attempt by a few individuals to run the party without recourse to collective consultation or internal democratic processes,” Chief Ortom notes.

The PDP Board member expresses optimism that the party would overcome its current challenges, recalling that PDP had survived many storms in the past and had always emerged stronger whenever it embraced fairness, dialogue, and inclusiveness.

Chief Ortom congratulates the newly appointed Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Mohammed Abdulrahman, on his emergence, describing it as a fresh opportunity for the party to heal and rebuild internal trust.

The former Benue Governor urges Hon. Abdulrahman and his team to urgently liaise with the Board of Trustees and other organs of the party to initiate genuine reconciliation efforts that would give every member a sense of belonging and renew confidence in the party’s leadership.

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