The crisis rocking the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn as the embattled chairman, John Ngbede, has revealed reasons behind the suspension of former governor Samuel Ortom.
Speaking to journalists at the party secretariat, Ngbede alleged that Ortom and his loyalists attempted to forcefully take over the party leadership, seeking to revert to the old order of malpractices.
Ngbede emphasized that only the national executive committee can suspend him, dismissing his own suspension as invalid. He stated, “Ordinarily, our tenure expires on August 4, but we are waiting for the directive of the national secretariat… It’s only the state executive committee of the party that can suspend me by virtue of my position as a member of the national executive.”
The chairman further explained that Ortom’s suspension was a result of his attempt to hijack the party leadership, saying, “We will not allow anyone to take us back to the old order where they will be hijacking voting materials.”
In a swift reaction, Ortom’s media aide, Terver Akase, denied the suspension, stating that any meeting held without Ortom’s consent is null and void. Akase added that Ngbede cannot hold meetings due to his own suspension and advised the suspended officials to appear before the conflict resolution panel.
