A former governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, has described those who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as “political termites”.
He appealed to the leadership of the PDP to expel them without further delay.
At the party’s expanded caucus meeting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital yesterday, Ortom said the exit of the “moths and termites” who worked against the party in 2023, which accounted for its loss, would solidify the PDP to reclaim its mandate in 2027.
He said, “I am very optimistic with every confidence that PDP will bounce back to power in 2027 and I am saying those who left the party for the so-called coalition should be expelled, Benue State will be better off under the PDP.
“The PDP is very strong. In the 2023 election, we were rigged out, we had ‘moths and termites’ who were tormenting the party. Today, we have a solid family. I want to assure you that without those termites we will win future elections one hand as a committed party.
“In 2027, we are going to bring a governor that will implement the Anti-Open Grazing Law and stop the killing and ensure that the IDPs go back to their ancestral homes. We will stop invaders from coming into our state and regain our status as the ‘food basket’ of the nation. We will install a government that will have a listening ear and be ready to secure our land.
“We were better off under the PDP. There is no coalition, if it is a strategic partnership, we can go into it, but those who are neither here nor there should be expelled from the party to give way for great ideas,” he said.
Also, the Senate minority leader, Senator Abba Moro, maintained that the “PDP is strong, vibrant and intact”, noting that those who felt frustrated have decided to leave the party.
He said, “Some persons who felt frustrated due to their inability to confuse anybody and truncate the will of the party, have moved to another party. The unfortunate thing about the ADC is that some people have moved from certainty to uncertainty. If for some reason some people decide to move to uncertainty because of some problems, they are in an uncertain boat with an uncertain future.
“I am here and do not have any reason to leave the PDP, not now nor tomorrow. We will be battle ready in 2027.
It is not a social media warfare or talkshop. Those who have left will realise that there is no greener pasture elsewhere. We will create a winning mentality for 2027,” Moro said.
Earlier, the state PDP chairman, Ezekiel Adaji said “the coalition is just a wind”, insisting that the PDP is waxing stronger amidst some challenges which would be resolved soon.
