Ortom Blasts APC Guber Candidate Over Allegations

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State is to commence legal action against the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia, and his campaign team over a recent damning statement against his person and office.
The APC governorship candidate in a statement by his Head of Communication, Alia ‘23, Mr Kula Tersoo, had accused Governor Ortom, of allegedly fleecing the state.
According to the statement, “Governor Ortom and his gang led by Speaker Titus Uba should be ready to tell the people of the state why as the Chief Executive of the state, he roguishly padded the wage bill of the state from N2.7billion to N7.8billion.
“Ortom should be ready to convince the Benue people on why he usually send thugs after the Senior Citizens he is owing over 30 months of pensions and gratuity anytime they are out for peaceful protests.”
Reacting in a counter-statement, Governor Ortom through his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel, said “the statement in the media, credited to the Communications Team of the disputed governorship candidate and suspended priest, Hyacinth Alia of the APC in Benue State is puerile, unfounded and beer parlour conjectures. The author showed how desperate the APC is willing to market all sorts of barefaced lies to gain unhindered access to the state treasury.
“First, it is baffling that the campaign team of the suspended priest chose to deploy blackmail and falsehood as an art and weapon to ride to power in 2023. We find this absurd and should be completely out of tune with the character of one who wishes to be trusted with state power.
“Hyacinth Alia who has failed in the church and wants to take cover in the political space, now bandy humongous figures of money alleged to have been received and spent by the administration of Governor Samuel Ortom. This is cheap and it shows the level of desperation in that camp.
from electoral defeat in 2023.
“In any case, Alia is not in contest for the 2023 Benue Governorship seat because no primary election was conducted. Even at that, the PDP is strong enough to face any party at the polls next year.”