Terver Akase, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, has said that his principal lost the National Assembly election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because he joined forces with the Labour Party (LP).
He insisted that the excitement being portrayed by the APC in the State after defeating Ortom would be good for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the coming Saturday gubernatorial election.
Ortom, who is a member of the Integrity Group (G-5) governors, had pitched his tent with LP’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi as against the decision of the G-5 leader, governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Wike had supported the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ortom also had said he would not mind losing his senatorial bid just to see that Peter Obi emerges as Nigerian president.
Howbeit, in Benue, Tinubu polled a total of 310,468 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Peter Obi who also garnered 308,372 votes.
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Similarly, Ortom who aspired to represent the Benue North-West Senatorial zone at the upper chamber, was defeated by Titus Zam of the APC.
While Ortom garnered 106,882 votes, in the election, Zam, his former aide polled 143,151 votes.
According to Akase’s interview with Daily Post, he noted that despite the victory by the APC, the State’s ruling party has the majority and that PDP would emerge victorious in the Saturday governorship and state assembly elections.
He said, “Forget what happened, that was because we combined with the Labour Party. Our votes were divided. But if you put Labour Party and PDP votes together, you will have over four hundred thousand.
“APC don’t have the majority here. If they are beating the drums around that they are the majority, they will be ashamed of themselves.
“They are celebrating everywhere but it’s good for us, let them continue to celebrate, by the time the thing hits them, they will continue to run to court and cry foul but we are not going to cheat, we are not going to rig, we have the majority and our people will vote for Titus Uba overwhelmingly.”
