Former Benue State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Samuel Ortom, has clarified that he never harbored hatred toward the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ortom explained that his frequent criticisms of Buhari were rooted in the former president’s failure to tackle the security crises in Benue State during his tenure.
He emphasized that his actions were driven by a responsibility to speak out in defense of his people, who were facing relentless attacks and killings.
“I didn’t hate Buhari, I didn’t hate his government, I didn’t hate any Fulani man. All I was standing for was that I was elected to provide security and provide for the welfare of my own people,” Ortom said.
He admitted accusing Buhari of not doing what a Commander-in-Chief should do to protect his people and said he has no regret for doing so at that time.
“I couldn’t just watch and continue to bury people, and I had to voice out, but I did not stop at that,” he said.
Samuel Ortom said it was the failure of Buhari that the security situation in Benue State has persisted to date.
Samuel Ortom conducted several mass burials while in office, while calling on the Buhari-led federal government to take decisive action against Fulani herders who were alleged to be killing the people.
However, not much was done by the Buhari administration to end the killings, and the former president never visited the state.
