Breaking: As APC wins Ekiti, it has just lost Benue as Ortom dumps party
Barely 24 hours after winning Ekiti State in a gubernatorial election weekend, Governor of Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom few hours ago, announced his pullout from the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Dr Kayode Fayemi had over the weekend dislodged the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the state, Prof Olusola Eleka to count the state as an APC state.
However, the joy of the APC in growing the number states it controls was cut short on Monday afternoon following the dumping of the party by Mr. Ortom.
Though he remains silent on the next party to align with, he tied his latest political decision to what he called “a red card” given to him by the APC.
Explaining more shortly after swearing in a new Special Adviser on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Jerome Shimbe, he noted that the red card from APC would enable him to join any political party that has an ideology worthy of being adopted by his administration.
According to him, “The strained relationship between him and the party under which he contested the 2015 governorship election in the state has left him without a party.
Nigeria Elections 2019 Desk at Business Hilights recalls that a pointer to the move stemmed from a recent abridged reshuffle of his cabinet announced earlier last week where he only retained only four out of the 16 commissioners and seven out of 19 Special Advisers.
Political pundits say more of similar alignments and realignments are still expected from many public office holders including federal and state lawmakers and governors in coming days ahead of 2019 general elections.
Besides, there are tactical insinuations from analysts that he may be the first governor to join Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) in days ahead because electoral Act provides that every political office holder must have affinity with a registered political party to remain legitimate in office.
