Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday appealed to people he may have offended in the course of his tenure as governor of the state to forgive him.
This is as he stated his intention to drop the lawsuit he initiated before the Election Petition Tribunal where he was disputing the win of the senator-elect of Benue North West Senatorial District, Titus Zam, in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
Recall that the senatorial dream of Governor Ortom was crushed after his loss on February 25 when he lost to his former assistant, Zam.
The governor, while responding to his defeat then, had stated that he was going to dispute the outcome of the election in court as he anchored his decision to what he termed as non-transmission of results.
Contrary to that, while addressing the media on Tuesday after meeting with stakeholders from his constituency and members of his campaign council at the Government House in Makurdi, Ortom stated that he had chosen to drop his complaint before the tribunal.
“Though there was apparent evidence of malpractices including non-transmission of results electronically during the conduct of the Benue North West senatorial election, I have chosen to withdraw my complaint from the tribunal.”
He noted that the decision to withdraw his petition from the court was in the interest of peace and without prejudice to the claims brought by other candidates of his party, the PDP.
“As a leader of PDP, I will continue to help the party in partnership with other leaders to allow it to bounce back from the errors and shortcomings that are impacting it at the moment.”
The governor, however, promised the people of the state that he would continue to render selfless service in all areas of development until the end of his term on May 29, 2023.
He nonetheless made a heartfelt plea, “For those, I may have offended in this path of serving the state and our nation, I request their forgiveness as I also forgive those who have offended me.”
The governor applauded the tenacity of the people of the state for participating massively in the just-concluded elections despite what he characterized as “glaring provocation and intimidation by the federal might” and also thanked the PDP in the state for backing him all the way.
He noted that it had been an honour to serve the people of Benue State as governor, saying he always ensured equity, fairness, justice and the rule of law and has executed the mandate given to him by God through Benue people, adding that he will always be available and ready to carry out God’s mandate as He directs him.
