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The immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has said former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, is still smarting from his rejection by members of the G-5 group in the 2023 general elections.
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer in the last election, was roundly rejected by Ortom alongside other governors of the G-5 and the Integrity Group.
The two politicians have maintained a frosty relationship since the days before the February 25 election, but there seemed to have been renewed hostilities sparked by the latest salvo from Atiku's camp.
Media aide, Phrank Shaibu, had released a statement on the former Vice President's behalf, accusing Ortom and other G-5 members of seeking appointment and protection from prosecution from the Federal Government.
Responding to the allegation, the former Benue governor asked Atiku to rather concern himself with why the G-5 and other members of the Integrity Group rejected his candidacy.
Atiku had described Ortom as one of the worst governors in the history of the country, adding that his case file at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is bulky.
But, the former governor reiterated the position of the G-5, insisting that the group stood for justice, equity, and fairness.
He added that Nigerians saw the indisputable facts contained in the position of the Integrity Group and voted for a presidential candidate from the south.
He said these in a statement on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, where he also alleged that he continued to be a victim of Atiku's ceaseless attacks because of his boldness to speak the truth to his face.
The statement partly read, “Atiku is angry because Governor Ortom and his colleagues in the G-5 refused to be used by him as ‘Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs)’ to circumvent and thwart the resolve of Nigerians to produce a President from the southern region.
“Another reason for Atiku’s attack on Chief Ortom is the former Benue State Governor’s boldness to speak truth to his face and rebuke him for making unstatesmanlike comments regarding the killing of Benue people by Fulani herdsmen. Atiku is on record to have expressed bitterness towards Ortom for daring to enact a law to prohibit open grazing of livestock in the state.
“The former Vice President’s diatribe against Chief Ortom can therefore be understood as the manifestation of frustration for losing the 2023 election. His failure to humble himself and unite the PDP, opting to remain haughty even when the signals were clear that he was heading for defeat summarized his performance in the last election.
“Atiku lacks the moral ground to accuse anyone else of corruption. The words of his erstwhile principal, the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who described him as a very corrupt man have remained indelible and incontrovertible. Chief Obasanjo, in his book, ‘My Watch’ states on pages 191-192 thus:
“Atiku Abubakar’s name was among the names sent to us. Up to that time, EFCC had enjoyed close cooperation and collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the UK and the USA. I gave the green light to Nuhu for the investigation as requested by the authorities and forwarded his report to the USA.
"The report was uncomfortable and unsavoury about Atiku and his associates. I thought it was bad enough that the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was under investigation for corruption when my Administration had made fighting corruption one of its cardinal objectives.
"As it turned out, the investigation in Nigeria and in the US led to Atiku’s house being searched by the US Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It was so embarrassing for our Administration and Embassy in Washington…”
While he admitted to having honoured an invitation from the anti-graft agency, Ortom said, “The role of anti-graft agencies was to investigate allegations of corruption. Whenever they invite someone, such a person has to honour the invitation. As a man who believes in the rule of law, Chief Ortom willingly visited EFCC when the Commission sought clarifications on the actions of his administration.”