Don’t forget me - Suswam to Benue State Governor-elect, Ortom

Having lost grip of the prop for his Senatorial bid, Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, yesterday reached out to the Governor-elect, Chief Samuel Ortom, with a request not to forget him when he assumes office on May 29.

Suswam, who congratulated Ortom on his victory at the polls on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, begged the Governor-elect to look after him after his exit from office next month. The governor stated this yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Makurdi, when he played host to Ortom.

He said, “When I leave (office), I will be a burden on you and you must take care of me.” Suswam told the people of the state that his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would not challenge Ortom’s mandate in court, stressing that litigation was an unnecessary distraction.

Ortom had earlier said he was overwhelmed when the governor called him on Sunday to congratulate him on his victory at the polls. He noted that Suswam’s attitude signified a new dawn for the state and commended him for displaying “sound maturity” on the outcome of the election.

He also praised his PDP opponent, Terhemen Tarzoor, who he said, had called to congratulate him.
Meanwhile, Suswam said he had started a peaceful transition to enable the Governor-elect to take over from him.

He said, “I’ve already started a peaceful transition to enable the Governor-elect to take over power after the expiration of my tenure.”

The governor added that Ortom’s victory was a clear reflection of the people’s wishes, saying in life, the only permanent thing about any situation is change. He enjoined the people of the state to extend their support to Ortom in the same way they worked with him to succeed in office.