You lied against me, apologise, Ortom tells Atiku

The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday called on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, to apologize over his outburst against him and the people of the state. The governor also said Atiku not to think that Fulani alone could make him the President.

Ortom said this when he addressed youths from the Jemgbagh axis, who protested in solidarity with him. The former vice president drew the ire of the governor during the interactive forum organised by the Arewa Consultative Forum in Kaduna recently when he (Atiku) accused Ortom of profiling Fulani and that the governor told him that his people used to rustle cows.

Ortom described as false the claim that he profiled Fulani herdsmen and made the claim that his people stole cows from his farm.

He said, “I condemn the statement against me by Atiku. When it got to me, I chatted with him through a WhatsApp message; he apologised but declined to make a public apology.

“But I am against the Fulani terrorists coming from Niger, Chad, Senegal, and Mali. He must do a retraction. If he does not, on the day of the election, we will vote according to the election.

“We cannot vote for a president who will continue the carnage against our people. He wants to use me as a scapegoat. Atiku is unfair to the people. Do you think Fulani will make you president? You lie. You have committed sacrilege against the Benue people,” Ortom said.