Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has asked the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku to apologise to him and the people of the state over his purported outburst.
Alhaji Atiku had at the interactive forum organised by Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna recently when he (Atiku) said that the reason he was angry with governor Ortom was because of profiling Fulanis.
Also in his condolence message to the people of the state over the killing in Gbeji where 36 people were killed, Atiku said, “when our people are well integrated into communities where they live, work, pay taxes and raise their children, they’d be obligated to reciprocate the love and acceptance”
Some youths from the Jemgbagh axis of the state which comprises Gboko, Tarka and Buruku local government areas stormed the Government House to register their protest.
Addressing the youths, Ortom said that Atiku lied against him and should apologise to him and the people of the state.
Ortom said that the former vice president should not think that Fulanis alone could make him the president.
He said, “I vehemently condemn the statement against me by Atiku. When it got to me, I chatted with him through a WhatsApp message, he apologised but declined to make a public apology.
“You cannot undress an elder like me in public and come back to dress me in the room. Let it be on record that at no point did I tell him that Benue people were stealing my cows. He lied against me and I take exception to this and demand an apology. It is unbecoming of a presidential candidate to tell lies.
“I never profiled Fulanis and did not say all of them are bad. They are my friends, they can even go into my bedroom. I have never sent any Fulani man away.
“But am against the Fulani terrorist coming from Niger, Chad, Senegal, Mali. He must do a retraction. If he does not, on the day of the election we will vote according to the election.
“We cannot vote for a president who will continue the carnage against our people. He wants to use me as a scapegoat. Atiku is unfair to the people. You think Fulani will make you President, you lie. You have committed sacrilege against the Benue people.
“I want to assure all ethnic groups and even foreigners of their safety in the land. I want to assure Benue people that under my watch such people will be apprehended.
“Our baby is PDP you do not throw away the baby and the bath water. Benue State is PDP and PDP is Benue and I remain an obedient servant.”
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