Uba lied, Ortom never abandoned him – Benue PDP

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has debunked claims by its 2023 governorship candidate, Mr Titus Uba, that the party led by former Governor Samuel Ortom abandoned him while he was ill.

The party was reacting to what it described as “regrettable and false comments” made by the former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Titus Uba, at an event in Ute, Vandeikya Local Government Area in the state.

At the said event, Uba, who was the governorship candidate of the PDP during the 2023 general elections, accused the party of neglect following his illness.

The party, speaking through its State Secretary, Comr. Dan Nyikwagh, said Uba’s comments are not only unfortunate, coming from one who has benefited immensely from the party, but are also a fabrication of lies designed to justify his gross ingratitude.

Nyikwagh, in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said: “For the record, Rt. Hon. Uba’s claim that no member of the PDP contacted him during his illness is utterly false. Either the former Speaker is suffering from a concerning memory lapse, or he is being deliberately mischievous.”

He recalled that Mr Uba fell ill in 2022, and from that moment, the PDP, under the leadership of then-Governor Chief Samuel Ortom, did not abandon him. Chief Ortom ensured that he received the best care possible. He was first stabilised in Abuja and then flown to Germany for specialist treatment, an intervention that cost over N300 million.

“Benue people will recall the arrangements made for Uba’s treatment abroad and the welcome party organised by the PDP upon his return. While he was away, elements within the state sought to substitute him as the gubernatorial candidate of our party, citing his health condition.

“It was Chief Ortom who stood firmly behind Uba, insisting that he remained our flagbearer against all odds. This was years after Chief Ortom had earlier facilitated Uba’s first party ticket on the platform of the APC, later made him Speaker, returned him for a second term as Speaker, and championed his gubernatorial bid.

“Even after the loss of the 2023 election, the party stood by Uba through his election petition, up to the Supreme Court in January 2024.”

The PDP further explained that as the custodian of the party’s updated register, Uba ceased to be a functioning member after 2023, when he voluntarily stopped attending party meetings and activities despite specific invitations, and halted all financial commitments to the party, an avenue from where the party sources funds to cater for its members.

He said it was, therefore, both shocking and disgustingly ungrateful that Uba now chooses to publicly overlook a lifetime of support, mentorship, and immense personal sacrifice from Chief Ortom, including gainful employment as Technical Manager in Ortom’s private company, an opportunity that set him up for life.

The Secretary, while noting that the party is not a charity organisation for personal medical care, remarked that: “It is also revealing that after eight years in the Assembly, enjoying all due emoluments as a Member and Speaker, Uba had no savings and relied on others for basic needs.

“Truth be told, it is Uba who abandoned the PDP. By June 2024, during our ward congresses, he was absent. He remained absent through the state congresses and has since severed all ties with the party.

“To us, the former Speaker left long ago. We have since moved past his unfortunate chapter with us. His exit is good riddance.

“The PDP’s most daunting task was marketing Titus Uba to the Benue populace, a man who could not convince his own kinsmen in a mock primary election, finishing a distant fourth.

“As a party, we sincerely apologise to Rt. Hon. Titus Uba for elevating him to a status far beyond his mental and appreciative capacity. May he find a place in his heart to forgive us.”