By Aondowase Agabi
The Benue State Governor and frontline member of the G-5 Governors, Chief Samuel Ortom has reiterated that the group is still United and committed to equity, fairness and justice.
Ortom was reacting to a a malicious online publication suggesting the group has fallen apart.
In a statement by his media adviser, Terver Akase, Gov Ortom said “the report published online by ‘businesshighlights.com.ng’ Which leveled barefaced lies against the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom that he has accused his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Nyesom Wike of betraying other members of the G-5” is fake news.
The publication “quoted” Governor Ortom as saying that the four members of the G-5 were in sharp disagreement with Governor Wike for opting to support the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu against the earlier decision of the group to support Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi.
He said: “The said publication is apparently the handiwork of those who hate to see the G-5 together. The quotations attributed to Governor Ortom in the report are as fictitious as the publication itself. Those who want to see the G-5 split have run out of ideas and resorted to manufacturing fake news against the group.”
“Governor Ortom has always stated that the G-5 is not pursuing personal interests. He says though members of the group may have peculiarities in their opinions about the presidential candidates, they remain united and committed to justice, equity and fairness as the hallmarks of democracy.
What the G-5 stands for is beyond the 2023 elections” he noted.
“We advise the general public to disregard the publication and the statements credited to Governor Ortom as contained in it” the statement concluded.
