Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said he cannot abandon his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike because he has proved to be a trusted and dependable ally.
Ortom stated this at a banquet in honour of governors Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Seyi Makinde and Okezie Ikpeazu on Sunday in Makurdi.
According to him, when bandits suspected to be Fulani herdsmen attacked him, Wike was the first person to condemn it.
“When Benue was under siege, he donated N250million and he subsequently spent over N700million to support the State to tackle the humanitarian crisis occasioned by the unwarranted attacks,” Ortom said.
“He didn’t stop at that. He convinced Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom to also assist the State and he donated N200million to us.
“Is he not a worthy friend? He’s a worthy friend and we’re working together to liberate the country,” he added.
Ortom said that he wouldn’t support the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, stressing that any of Atiku’s supporters is his enemy.
“I’m not going to support any Fulani man to continue to do injustice to my people unless my people tell me to do otherwise,” Ortom said.
Responding on behalf of the visiting governors, Wike thanked Ortom for the honour he had given to them.
Wike said, “People want to break us but they cannot, we are bonded; therefore, we cannot be separated.”
Wike further advised the leadership of the PDP at the centre to always respect agreements for peace to reign.
