Ortom, Alia differ over 2027 electoral chances

The immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday, expressed confidence that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party will reclaim power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state by 2027.

But the incumbent Governor Hyacinth Alia described Ortom’s postulation as “laughable ambition,” saying it would take the opposition party another 40 years to come close to power in the state.

Addressing members of the G14 group, who paid him a courtesy visit at his Makurdi residence on Tuesday, Ortom urged the group to work diligently to ensure the PDP’s resurgence in the state.

He called on the members to move past the crisis that led to the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 elections.

The G14 comprises elders of the PDP from the 14 local government areas of Tiv extraction.

The group has been embroiled in internal disputes, with former governor Gabriel Suswam, a co-founder of the group, recently announcing its disbandment due to perceived closeness to his successor, Ortom.

However, the chairman of the group, Laha Dzever, countered Suswam’s statement, asserting that no one had the authority to disband the group.

He suggested that Suswam should resign his membership if he no longer wished to be part of the G14.

Receiving the group at his residence, Ortom, who now serves as the co-chairman, affirmed his continued support and emphasised that no individual has the right to dissolve the group.

“As the leader of the party in the state, I will continue to support the group. Let me emphasize this: no one has the right to disband this group,” Ortom said.

“I encourage you to remain loyal to the party and put past grievances behind you. Now is the time to work harder than ever before and bring back those who want to rejoin us. Many people are eager to return to the party. Let us start a new journey, and with God on our side, we will reclaim power in 2027,” he added.

Ortom urged members to continue supporting their leaders at the national level, noting that the PDP’s ward and local government congresses conducted in the state have been approved by the party’s National Working Committee.

However, in response, Governor Alia dismissed Ortom’s optimism as a “laughable ambition.”

Speaking through his Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity, and Strategy, Solomon Iorpev, Alia argued that the PDP would need between 30 and 40 years to regain the governorship seat, given the current achievements of his administration.

“It’s a laughable ambition because with what the governor is doing, it will take another 30 to 40 years for the PDP to even dream about coming close to power in the state,” Iorpev said.

“No governor has achieved what His Excellency Hyacinth Alia has done in all spheres of governance. Nobody would want to set aside such an achiever and opt for a party that is divided. A party where one of its leaders campaigned for the Labour Party—how do you expect such a party to unite?”

Iorpev also noted that many PDP members have defected to the APC across local governments, further weakening the opposition’s presence in the state.

“Who is left in the PDP to canvass for votes in 2027? What is their pedigree to make the party return to power? It’s a laughable ambition,” he maintained.

Iorpev pointed out that the internal crisis in the PDP had been so severe that former governor Suswam had to evict party leaders from their secretariat before Ortom stepped in to provide them with alternative accommodation.