2023: Wike’s Man Ortom Hits Atiku, Says ‘Any Person Beyond 70 Years Should Not Be Looking For Presidency’

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Monday took a veiled swipe at former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, over his sixth attempt at the presidency.

Ortom told journalists in Makurdi, the Benue capital, that anyone older than 70 years has no business looking for the presidency.

The Benue governor said this when he received former senate president, Bukola Saraki as well as the governors of Sokoto and Bauchi States, Aminu Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed respectively at the state house in Makurdi.

According to Ortom, Nigeria is in a computer age and needs young leaders capable of computerizing and digitizing governance.

“Any person beyond 70 years should not be looking for the presidency. These are people, today, we are in the computer age and these three gentlemen you see here are computer literate and they have the capacity,” he said.

“We cannot continue to be in the analogue. How many of you were alive in 1930 or 1945? During the Second World War, how many of you were born that time? Even me, I was born in 1961. So, the world has changed, we are now in the digital world and we must computerise and digitise governance too,” he added.

THE WHISTLER earlier reported how Ortom had told Atiku to his face that he was not happy with him because he allegedly abandoned the people of Benue when his kinsmen (the Fulani) were killing them.

While receiving Atiku during a campaign tour to Benue in February, Ortom had told the former vice president: , “Your visit to Benue as the ‘Zege Mule U Tiv’ is long overdue. But it’s better late than never. You are in your home, and we are happy to receive you.

“But let me say here that our people were not happy that you didn’t visit when terrorist Fulani groups were attacking and killing the people in Benue.”

Meanwhile, on the issue of zoning, Ortom said on Monday that in spite of his belief in a Southern presidency, “the decision of the party on where the presidency should be zoned takes pre-eminence.”

Saraki, on his part, announced plans by certain aspirants within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to produce a consensus candidate to be the party’s flagbearer in the 2023 general elections.

He noted that reaching a consensus will reduce the rancour in the process of getting the party’s flagbearer.

Saraki said, “I’m here today with two brothers, the governor of Sokoto State, Tambuwal and, of course, the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, as part of the ongoing consultation of the three of us who have shown indication to aspire for presidency under our great party.

“On our own about a couple of weeks ago, we felt that, in the interest of our great party, we should be able to come together and find a consensus candidate among us.

“Our interest is very little compared to our country at this time, which is at a very defining moment. I believe only our party can rescue this country from where it is today and those of us who are aspiring are committed to ensure that we find somebody who will unite us, whom we will all support.

“That’s a better way to unite the party and reduce the rancour in the process. To do that, we must also carry along key stakeholders of the party, leaders like yourself, and that’s why we are here today.

“The seriousness comes from our total belief in the unity of our party. All of us are eminently qualified to lead this country; it’s about us ensuring that we put the country first and that is why we are here.

Saraki said the team will also meet Atiku in furtherance of its quest to find a consensus among the number of presidential aspirants.