The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed the Benue State Governor, Dr Samuel Ortom, back to its fold and has urged all its members in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to return back to the party.
Ortom had on Wednesday announced his defection from the APC to the PDP.
In a statement on Wednesday by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party commended Governor Ortom for “showing patriotic courage and boldness” in the face of brazen dictatorship.
Tye statement said, “The return of the Governor to PDP confirms the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari’s led-administration and the APC do not have the welfare of Nigerians at heart.
“They have continually offered flimsy excuses over the mindless killings that have caused untold sorrows across the country, particularly, Benue State.
“PDP recalls that the Buhari-led federal government has failed in its basic responsibility of protecting live, property and territorial integrity of our nation.
“Painfully, Nigerians are being slaughtered in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, nearly on daily basis”.
The party accused the APC-led administration of continually pleading for accommodation of persons who have been repeatedly fingered in killings in the Benue valley rather than take decisive and concrete actions to preserve lives of Nigerians.
It hailed the governor for standing firm by the people of Benue State and refusing to mortgage their welfare to a government that has consistently demonstrated cluelessness.
“We urge the governor to be rest assured that he will be accorded his dues and rights as a member of the PDP.
“The return of the Governor Ortom to our party, which is a reflection of his people’s desires, further confirms the rejection of the Buhari -led APC administration by Nigerians.
“It also buttresses the fact that PDP remains the viable platform for all Nigerians that are desirous of rescuing our nation from the gross misgovernance and authoritarianism exhibited by the APC-led administration”, the statement added.