2019: Ortom picks nomination form, ready to take over Benue PDP on Monday, September 3

macfranc007 September 02, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Tunde Ososanya

- Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, has picked PDP expression of interest and nomination forms to re-contest in 2019

- The governor picked the forms on Saturday, September 1

- According to a source, the governor will be taking over the party structure on Monday, September 3

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state on Saturday, September 1, picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the 2019 governorship election in the state.

This was disclosed in a statement by the governor's chief press secretary, Terver Akase, on Saturday, September 1.

NAIJ.com gathers that Ortom's spokesman said the governor thanked the leadership and members of PDP for the opportunity given him to seek the party's ticket for the coming election.

Akase said: "He (Ortom) also appreciated his teeming supporters across the state, urging them to remain peaceful and sustain the spirit of politics without bitterness as they have been doing.

"Governor Ortom also thanked Benue people for their prayers and goodwill, promising not to disappoint them."

According to Pucnh, the process of taking control of the PDP in the state on Monday, September 3, has been concluded at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

A source told Punch: “It is in the PDP constitution that the governor should automatically be the leader of the party in the state it (the party) controls."

Reacting to the development, an ex-governor of the state, Dr Gabriel Suswam, said: “The governor taking control of the party does not mean that they have given him the party structure. What we are saying is that since he is the governor, he should look after the party. It doesn’t mean anything; the structure is still as it is."

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that twelve governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue state, refused to step down for Governor Samuel Ortom, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

One of the aspirants, Dr Tivlumun Nyitse, revealed what transpired during a meeting between Governor Ortom and other governorship aspirants on the PDP platform.

APC chieftains in Benue state say PDP has nothing to offer - on NAIJ.com TV