The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike on Tuesday praised his counterpart in Benue State, Samuel Ortom for supporting the candidacy of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu at the February 25 presidential poll at the expense of his senatorial bid.
Wike stated this during the commissioning of the Government Secondary School Kpor in the Gokana Local Government Area of the state.
He noted that history would be kind to Ortom for the sacrifice he made in returning power to the South.
He claimed that the governor did not lose the poll, saying Ortom is the winner of the election.
He said, “You may think you have lost but you didn’t lose, you are the winner. Let me thank you for standing firm that the presidency should go to the South, you paid for it but history will be with you.
“When the time came for people to stand up, for Nigeria to be united, you came out and said ‘Yes, I’m from this zone yet for equity and fairness, it will be for the unity of this country if the presidency is zoned to the South’.
“We will be wherever you are, we will give you every support that you require from Rivers State. Because of your fight, people stood up and fought you. Yes, you lost your Senate, but you made it clear in leadership. God will continue to bless, and guide you.”
Ortom’s bid to represent the Benue Northwest Senatorial District was dashed after losing to Titus Zam of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
While Ortom polled 106,882 votes, Zam had 143,151 votes and the Labour Party, LP, candidate, Mark Gbillah garnered 51,950 votes.
