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By Tracy Moses
The immediate past Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has dismissed as false and baseless reports circulating on social media claiming that he has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The denial followed the circulation of unverified claims over the weekend, which spread rapidly across several online platforms and were accompanied by images of a purported APC membership card bearing Ortom’s name.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ortom described the reports as a calculated attempt by political opponents unsettled by his continued relevance and rising political profile.
The statement, signed by his Media Adviser/Consultant, Terver Akase, stressed that the former governor remains a committed member of the PDP and a serving member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).
According to Akase,
“The attention of the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, has been drawn to a fake and deliberately misleading report circulating on social media claiming that he has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The report is false, baseless and a mischievous fabrication by a gang of desperate social media urchins sponsored by political opponents who are clearly unsettled by Chief Ortom’s continued influence.”
The statement also condemned the circulation of the purported APC membership card, describing it as a crude and irresponsible attempt to mislead the public.
“As part of their infantile scheme, the agent provocateurs went as far as manufacturing a fake APC membership card falsely attributed to Chief Ortom and circulating same online in a failed attempt to deceive the public,” Akase said, adding that the act exposed the depth of desperation among those behind the falsehood.
Reaffirming Ortom’s political stance, the statement said the former governor remains a proud and influential member of the PDP, noting that he is the leader of the party in Benue State and a respected member of its Board of Trustees.
It urged members of the public to disregard the report in its entirety, describing it as false, misleading and politically motivated.