Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has slammed The Sun newspaper for allegedly deliberately trying to kill his career.

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has slammed a national newspaper, (not DAILY POST) for deliberately trying to kill his career.

The governor faulted the newspaper over its recent report that his party was walking in tight rope at the tribunal.

According to him, since June this year, articles deliberately aimed at causing anxiety about the fate of Ortom, either in the court or at the election tribunal, have been planted in top media houses.

He added that every now and then such articles were being recycled, using the names of various writers.

The governor in a statement through his media aide, Tahav Agerzua, noted that it was unprofessional for any reporter to file an unverified report to the reading public.

The statement quoted some of the articles to include: “The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has stated that the All Progressives Congress, APC, did not hold primary election in Benue State; Governor Ortom was not validly nominated and that the APC national legal adviser warned that the party was losing Benue State.

“That Governor Ortom would lose either at the Federal High Court or at the Benue State Governorship Election Tribunal”.

He added that ordinarily since the newspaper has a correspondent in Benue State, one would expect that she would be the one to file reports and analysis from the state.

“Indeed she does file them, none of which underscores or supports the articles of the hirelings mentioned above.

“May I assure members of the public that there is no panic in Benue State whatsoever and that all are going about their normal duties with very little thought about the election tribunal.

“Governor Ortom was validly nominated in accordance with his party’s constitution, guidelines, as well as the Electoral Act.

“Chairman of the primary election panel in Benue State, Barrister Baba Dala, stated clearly at the tribunal that the governorship candidate of the party fulfilled all requirements in accordance with the law.

“He tendered documents including a resolution of party leaders on Governor Ortom’s candidature, APC constitution, letter of waiver granted him as well as record of proceedings at the Federal High Court, Makurdi, which were all accepted by the tribunal.

“Barrister Dala stated that since the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had filed the same suit at the Federal High Court Makurdi claiming the same facts and reliefs, it was abnormal for the same suit, which had been dismissed with costs to be brought before the tribunal.

“Moreover, Dr. Muiz Banire, APC’s National Legal Adviser denied that he ever wrote the letter being bandied around and its contents.

“Numerous other judgments of the Supreme Court on nomination of candidates have already sounded the death knell for Prince Terhemen Tarzoor’s case at the tribunal.

“The withdrawal of the case challenging Governor Ortom’s nomination has also been sad news for the PDP.

“On the whole, the major objective of the current media campaign by PDP apologists includes the setting of the stage for a blame game that will surely ensue as the PDP’s defeat at the Benue State Governorship Election Tribunal is as inevitable as it is irrevocable.

“I appeal to members of the public to disregard and dismiss such reports,” he added.