The immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not accept those attempting to sneak into its fold and become members.
He said the party will only welcome new members who will come into the party through the door and not through the window.
This is even as Ortom also called on members of the party to put the 2023 general elections behind them and unite towards reclaiming their mandate in 2027. He urged them to move forward and work together to achieve their goals.
Although the former governor did disclose those he felt wanted to enter the party wrongly, Ortom and his predecessor in the office of governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, have been at loggerheads over the control of PDP in the state.
Camps controlled by the two PDP leaders in the state have suspended loyalists of their rivals.
But Ortom, during a courtesy call by the G-14 members, led by its chairman Dr Laha Dzever yesterday, described PDP as a peaceful party and warned members bent on dividing the party to steer clear as nobody’s ambition is more than the party.
He commended the PDP elders in Benue State, under the aegis of G-14, for their sacrifice and support to ensure the party remains strong and united to reclaim its mandate in 2027.
Reacting to the action of some section of aggrieved PDP members after the state and ward congresses said, Ortom said, “We are ready to welcome everyone who want to join PDP through the door, but we will not allow anyone who would want to join the party through the window, because nobody has a monopoly of trouble, we are peaceful people, but whoever takes our peace for granted will face stiff resistance.”
The former governor warned members calling for the dissolution of elders of the party in the 14 Tiv speaking local government areas popularly called G-14 to desist.
He said they should, instead, commend the elders for their sacrifice for party unity, adding that even as a leader he lacks powers to resolve the group.
The erstwhile governor also announced that the party will today, Thursday October 3, 2024, hold its State Congress to elect leaders who will oversee the affairs of the party in the four years.
“I would have been happy if the election is through consensus as we earlier discussed with Senators Gabriel Suswam and Abba moro, however we are not stopping anyone from contesting,” he said.
Earlier the leader of the G-14. Dr Laha Dzeve, said their visit to Ortom is to commend him for his sacrifice, service for the unity and peaceful coexistence of party members.
He said they appealed to the former governor not to be distracted by rumour mongers especially now that the party has put its structures to take over the leadership of the country and state.
The G-14 lamented a situation where some PDP members wanted to bring “divide and rule tactics” to destroy the party he said Ortom built.
“We want to make it clear that Ortom is the leader of the party in the State and we have cued behind him, we will not in any way fold our arms to watch individual interest to bring PDP down and no member of this party no matter how highly placed will disband the G-14 which was formed to protect the image of the party.
“I want to state clearly here that there is no cause for alarm over the lingering crisis in the party, because in politics, you must disagree to agree, no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, so the current internal squabble in the party would only make it stronger for better,” he said.
