Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, was criticized by Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, late on Sunday. Ortom said, “He should go to hell.”
The governor commented while inviting friends from Rivers, Oyo, Abia, and Enugu to a dinner party at the Makurdi government residence.
The official flag-off of the PDP governorship and parliamentary campaign is slated for today, and the four governors—Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State—arrived in Makurdi on Sunday.
Atiku’s bid for president, according to Ortom, will allow the slaughter of Benue citizens to continue.
The governor lamented the killing of 18 people in his council area last Friday, where a young man in his 20s had his eyes removed to send a message to him.
He said, “To hell with Atiku and anyone supporting him. They should go and tell him. You want me to be a slave for a Fulani. It is better that I die. Anybody supporting Atiku is an enemy of Benue.
“My tenure ends in May, and you can do whatever you want if you think you have the powers. I have written my will. When I gave it to my wife, she cried all night. If I die at 62, many of my mates have gone a long time ago, and if I die today, I’m a fulfilled person, but let it be recorded that I died resisting the invasion and killing of my people.
Ortom stated that he would not become a Fulani stooge and will never support any.
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