Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has explained his decision to make his vehicle available to Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the latter’s recent visit to the state.
Ortom, through his media aide, Terver Akase, said refusing to assist Obi with transportation would have been petty, particularly given the purpose of the former Anambra State governor’s visit.
His response followed an accusation by the incumbent Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, that Ortom facilitated Obi’s visit to the state.
Ortom maintained that Obi, being a former governor and presidential candidate, deserved the courtesy extended to him during his visit to Benue.
He said, “Statesman who understands the demands of public service and the obligations that come with leadership. It is therefore both ridiculous and shameful for anyone to attempt to criminalise or politicise the simple act of making a vehicle available to a fellow Nigerian leader.
“Peter Obi is a former governor, a presidential candidate and one of the most prominent political figures in the country. Imagine how it would have sounded if Chief Ortom had refused to assist him with transportation while he was in Benue on a humanitarian mission to visit internally displaced persons.
“Such a refusal would rightly have been viewed as petty, inhospitable and beneath the dignity of a former governor. Indeed, extending such a courtesy should ordinarily have been the responsibility of the Benue State Government itself, given the status of the visitor.
“That the Alia administration is now trying to make a controversy out of what was merely a humane, courteous and statesmanlike gesture exposes the poverty of its argument and the desperation behind its propaganda. In other climes, leaders are commended for extending courtesies across political divides, not vilified for doing so.
“The attempt to portray an act of hospitality as evidence of wrongdoing is both intellectually dishonest and politically immature.”
The former governor also rejected suggestions that his action amounted to political duplicity, describing the allegation that he was “double-faced” as “laughable.”
Ortom said he remained a man of his word and would continue to support any political candidate he had publicly endorsed.
He explained that while he backed Obi during the 2023 presidential election, he had since declared his support for President Bola Tinubu.
The controversy followed Obi’s visit to Makurdi last Tuesday, when he planned to travel to Yelewata to commiserate with families affected by the June 2025 massacre.
However, the former presidential candidate’s convoy was stopped by youths around Gyado Villa, a few kilometres from the airport.
The development subsequently triggered a war of words between Alia and Ortom, with the governor’s media aide, Kula Tersoo, accusing the former governor of facilitating Obi’s visit and allegedly working for him ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tersoo said the state government’s investigation indicated that the vehicle used by Obi after his arrival at the Makurdi Airport belonged to Ortom.
“Benue State Government had commenced an investigation into the alleged incident, and the information obtained so far indicated that the vehicle used to convey Obi from the Makurdi Airport was linked to former Governor Ortom.
“Obi was seen driving in Mr Samuel Ortom’s Sports Utility Vehicle, Toyota Land Cruiser, with registration number ABUJA: GWA 608 BT.”
According to Tersoo, information obtained from the Federal Road Safety Corps vehicle records linked the vehicle to the former governor.
He said, “Investigation linked the vehicle to Samuel Ortom. The vehicle was registered in his name and associated with his Judges Quarters address in Makurdi. The report also identified the vehicle’s chassis details, application date and other registration information.
“Other details of the vehicle, as obtained from a basic check across the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) vehicle information report, include:
“The question is, how can someone who publicly says he is working for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu make his vehicle available for the use of another presidential candidate?”
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