You must take care of me after office, Suswam tells Ortom

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan receiving Governor-elect Ortom in his office yesterday 

Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, has informed the state Governor-elect, Chief Samuel Ortom, to look after him after his exit from office in May.

Suswam stated this at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Makurdi, when he played host to the Governor-elect on Monday.

He said, “When I leave (office), I will be a burden on you and you must take care of me.”

Suswam assured the people that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, will not challenge Ortom’s mandate in court, stressing that litigation was an unnecessary distraction.

Earlier, Ortom, who contested the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, 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, commending the governor for displaying “sound maturity” on the outcome of the election.

He also commended 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 full support to the Governor-elect in the same manner they supported him to succeed in office.

Suswan, however, cautioned politicians and their supporters to avoid hate speeches, vendetta and unnecessary witch hunting of opponents on the basis of party affiliations.