2023: Reports On My Ambition Handiwork Of Mischief Makers, Benue Not In Right Mood -Ortom’s Aide

Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor, Mr. Terver Akase, on Thursday, said he had long put on hold his campaign for governorship in 2023 following the directive by his principal, Samuel Ortom, that all government appointees should drop such ambition at the moment.

Akase was reacting to a newspaper publication in which it was alleged that he had bowed to pressure and now set to join the 2023 guber race in Benue State.

He noted that the report is an attempt by his detractors who want to make it seem he had ignored the directive of Governor Samuel Ortom to his appointees on February 3, to refrain from any form of political campaigns directly or indirectly.

In a statement on Thursday in Makurdi, Akase said he was the first person to issue a statement in compliance with the governor’s directive and therefore, couldn’t have turned round to violate the directive.

The statement read in part: “I read a report by one local newspaper which later went viral insinuating that I have bowed to pressure and am set to join the Benue 2023 guber race.

“I suspect that the report is an attempt by my detractors who want to make it appear like I have ignored the directive of my principal, His Excellency Governor Samuel Ortom who told us (his appointees) on 3rd February, 2021 to refrain from any form of political campaigns directly or indirectly.

“I was one of the first to issue a statement in compliance with the Governor’s directive that same day. I couldn’t have therefore turned round to violate the directive.

Benue people and other Nigerians are not in the right mood at the moment to wake up and read political campaign reports in the media when people are being killed by herdsmen and other terrorists across the country. I implore the general public to dismiss the said newspaper report in its entirety as I have nothing to do with it and its contents remain false”.