Real Reason I Fought Ortom At PDP NWC Meeting In Abuja, Dino Melaye Finally Speaks
Senator Dino Melaye, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 11 governorship election in Kogi state, has explained the reason for his altercation with former Benue State Governor Samuel Orton during a recent meeting of the PDP National Working Committee in Abuja.
Recall that Melaye, got involved in a shouting match with Ortom during a crucial meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, April 17, between stakeholders of the opposition party’s north-central geopolitical zone.
At the meeting, Malaye expressed surprise that the former Benue governor could feel comfortable sitting in a PDP meeting, walking in majestically after his alleged anti- party activities that made the party lose both the presidential and gubernatorial elections in Benue state.
The former senator asserted that the PDP should discipline Ortom, which led to an exchange of words between the duo.
Taking to his account on the X platform on Thursday, Melaye said he’ attacked’ Ortom because the former Governor betrayed the PDP in the 2023 election, has already declared support for President Bola Tinubu in. the 2027 elections, hence, should not
be in attendance at a PDP meeting.
Why will Ortom attend a PDP meeting after declaring support for Tinubu in 2027. Hence, my altercation with him at the PDP North Central Zone leadership meeting, “Melaye wrote.
It could be recalled that during the 2023 election, Ortom had teamed up with the G- 5 governors, led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to work against the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Orton teamed up with the G-5 governors following a disagreement about the zoning of the party’ s chairmanship seat, which was occupied by the suspended Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who was from the same region (North) as the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Ortom and his cohort kicked against it and insisted that there was equity and fairness in the party’s leadership structure. They suggested that the chairmanship seat should be zoned to the south.
The back-and-forth ignited the rift, and the PDP G-5 governors opted to work for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC) and Peter Obi (Labour Party). At the same time, some loyal PDP members, like Senator Melaye, stood firm behind Atiku.
