Nigerian Concord Newspaper
It is no longer a news that the Benue state chapter of People’s Democratic Party is facing a serious leadership crisis at the moment even when the constitution is clear that the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Samuel Ortom PhD is the overall leader of the party in Benue.
On the other hand, the immediate past senator of Benue Northeast, Senator Gabriel Suswam PhD is also a leader of the party in Benue state so what could have been the reason behind the leadership crisis in the party at the state level.
The Halleluyah boys and political jobbers: We call them Halleluyah boys and political jobbers because they will sing your Hosannah today and call for your crucification tomorrow. These boys and men whose job is majorly on the internet and inside the compound of Senator Suswam are the ones that caused this crisis between two good friends.
If we are to go through history, Chief Ortom, a man with a very pure heart made sure that Senator Suswam, another man with a heart of gold wasn’t sidelined in the scheme of things immediately he assumed the leadership of the PDP in 2018. At that time, many aspirants were jostling for the tickets of the party for governorship, Senate, Reps and the House of Assembly.
Then, there were efforts by some actors in the ongoing crisis in the Benue PDP (I mean those who keep telling Suswam bad about Ortom) to sideline Gabriel Suswam. They would go to Ortom that Suswam must not emerge the senatorial candidate of the party in Zone A just because they had found Ortom as their new bride and an ATM Machine.
In all this, Ortom kept telling his own lieutenants who came with him from the APC that it was Suswam that he wanted as the candidate. And he stood by his words. These same people urged Ortom not to allow Oker Jev get the ticket of Zone B in 2018. There reason was that it would be hard for Ortom to get the ticket back from him in 2022 but Ortom, a man who always says that “a man shall receive nothing except he is given from God” declined. He told them that Jev must get the ticket even with an a clear word that he (Ortom) didn’t have to be senator in 2023.
Fulfilling his words, Chief Ortom ensured the emergences of both Senators Suswam and Oker Jev as candidates of their respective senatorial zones. As a party leader, he stood with them in various ways we don’t have to mention until they won the election. Even when the APC riggers tried to hijack the process at the headquarters of INEC in Makurdi, Chief Ortom left his house at the dead of the night to stop them. It was just with his help and that of God, that Suswam and Jev weren’t rigged out.
It’s a pity that these same people that are with Dr. Senator Suswam today that told Chief Ortom not to allow him get the senatorial ticket in 2018. Without mentioning their names, Senator Suswam will know them after reading this piece because they aren’t far away from him and his family.
Who will tell Dr. Suswam that Chief Samuel Ortom PhD isn’t dragging the leadership of the Benue PDP with him because the law is clear on who the leader is? Who will tell him that 70 percent of the Halleluyah boys and political jobbers in his camp still go to Chief Ortom to beg for money and even say bad things about him to his good friend? Thanks to Chief Ortom, he will always tell them like he had told me several times that:”Suswam is my friend and I have no issue with him. At the right time, we will resolve whatever that is between us. This is why I will never allow anyone to write or say anything bad about him on the social media despite the provocations from his people. He is my friend and we shall come together to lift the party up one day” These are the kind words that always come out from Chief Ortom’s mouth each time his friend’s name is mentioned around him.
I remember when my boss, Senator Gabriel Suswam first declared his intention to run for the PDP national championship. I made a good story of that and the first person to react was Chief Samuel Ortom. When we got to speak over the phone, he made it abundantly clear that Senator Suswam was his choice for the position. Several Aides of the former governor also corroborated this by writing articles to back Senator Suswam. So what has changed suddenly? Who is deceiving Senator Suswam to hate his good friend? Who Will tell my boss the truth about the genuine love which his friend, Ortom has for him till now? Certainly none of the Halleluyah boys and political jobbers will tell him the truth because their meal tickets do come from an unsettled relationship.
To be continued.
I am Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi, the Oracular Oracle that eats jollof rice in the shrine.