Benue PDP dismisses Ortom meeting report, insists Aondoakaa remains candidate

By James Ike

The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed as false a social media report alleging that the party's leader and immediate past governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, convened an emergency meeting of stakeholders in Makurdi over court cases involving its governorship candidate, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN.

The party said no such meeting took place, describing the report as a fabrication allegedly intended to mislead the public, sow discord within its ranks and create the impression of a crisis where none existed.

The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bright Yima Antyo, stated this in a statement while reacting to the report published by Benue News, an online platform said to be associated with supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Antyo described the publication as false, mischievous and calculated to undermine the party, insisting that Ortom was not even in Makurdi at the time of the alleged meeting.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no such meeting took place. Chief Ortom is not even in Makurdi at the moment,” he said.

He dismissed as fabricated the claim that Ortom hosted party stakeholders at his residence in the state capital, where disagreements allegedly emerged over Aondoakaa's candidacy.

The PDP spokesman further declared that the party had neither contemplated nor discussed replacing Aondoakaa as its governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.

“He remains the party's candidate, and there is no basis whatsoever for the insinuation that the party is reconsidering his candidacy because of pending litigation,” the statement said.

The party also denied allegations that it was planning to pressure or intimidate the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Hon. Demain Adagba, into withdrawing his court case against Aondoakaa.

According to Antyo, the allegation was another attempt to manufacture controversy and damage the PDP's reputation.

“The party has no such plan, and the suggestion that it intends to achieve this by whatever means necessary is a deliberate attempt to manufacture controversy and malign the PDP's reputation,” he stated.

He maintained that the PDP was a law-abiding political party that respected the independence of the judiciary and the right of every litigant to pursue lawful remedies.

“We have confidence in the judicial process and will not resort to intimidation, coercion or any underhanded scheme to influence the outcome of a court case,” the statement added.

Antyo expressed concern over what he described as the deliberate fabrication of meetings, attribution of fictitious statements to party leaders and presentation of imaginary disagreements as established facts.

He said such conduct was irresponsible and amounted to an abuse of the freedom of expression, particularly when employed to advance political propaganda.

The PDP therefore cautioned those responsible for the publication and their collaborators to desist from manufacturing and circulating false reports for political purposes.

“Political differences do not confer a licence to lie, malign individuals or deliberately mislead the public. The freedom to express political opinions must be exercised with a sense of responsibility and respect for the truth,” the statement said.

The party also urged members of the public, particularly its supporters, to disregard the report and avoid sharing unverified claims capable of creating confusion within its ranks.

Reaffirming its commitment to its political objectives, the PDP said it remained focused and united in its preparations for the 2027 general election, despite what it described as attempts to distract it through misinformation.

“The truth is simple: no such meeting took place, no plan to replace Chief Aondoakaa exists. The former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice remains PDP's governorship candidate for the 2027 election!” Antyo declared.

The party concluded by expressing confidence in Aondoakaa's political prospects, warning those allegedly behind the publication to prepare for defeat at the polls in February 2027.

“Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, is coming,” the statement added.