Tribunal victory: Ortom extends olive branch to Jime

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has extended an olive branch to his major challenger, the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 governorship election, Barrister Emmanuel Jime, following his victorious outing at the election petitions tribunal.

Jime had earlier challenged the declaration of Ortom as governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on grounds that irregularity shrouded the election which produced the later.

But, the tribunal sitting in Makurdi on Monday voided the APC’s candidate petition and reaffirmed Ortom as the duly elected governor of the ‘food basket’ state.

Reacting to his victory, the governor through his spokesman, Terver Akase extended a hand of fellowship to Jime and other contestants in the election, maintaining that, “politics is over; now is time for governance.”

Ortom therefore assured that his administration would be willing to collaborate with Benue sons and daughters irrespective of political differences, ethnicity, religion and place of origin to move the state forward.

The governor dedicated his victory to the people of the state who elected him for a second term, stressing that the verdict of the tribunal confirmed the unanimous decision of Benue voters and proven that his re-election was credible.