Contrary to an earlier report that he has ditched his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday declared that he stands by Wike.

Addressing journalists in Makurdi after a meeting with caucus members of the Peoples Democratic Party from the North West senatorial district, known as Zone B, Ortom said nothing would make him leave Wike.

The governor said, “I just came back from London with Wike this morning. We are friends, and I still maintain my stand on what I said. I haven’t left. I still sympathise with Wike about the injustice meted out to him.

“Politics is about interest and where your interest is not protected, you have a right to protest, and I think that is what is happening. The party leadership has not been fair to Governor Wike based on activities that took place during and after the convention. We have not been able to adequately deploy the internal conflict mechanism to resolve those issues, and this is all I have been saying.

“I sympathise with him and continue to believe that the party’s national leadership should do the same. In politics, nothing can be late, no matter how difficult it may seem, if everybody brings themselves down to the level of others who are aggrieved.

“And to say that some of us are happy with the injustices that have been meted is not true. We remain committed to the PDP; I feel that the right thing should be done to put us together.”