Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged Nigerians to put religious and political differences aside and work together to overcome the country’s current security and economic challenges.
Governor Ortom made the remarks at Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Saturday, when he hosted the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Governor Fayemi, a presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), was in the state to meet with APC delegates ahead of the party’s presidential primaries later this month.
Governor Ortom stated during the visit that all Nigerians, whether members of the APC or PDP, Christians or Moslems, must put party and religious differences aside and work together to address the country’s challenges.
“We’re all involved, and we need to work together to save our country,” Governor Ortom said.
While applauding the efforts of leaders from all parties who have expressed a desire to serve the country, Ortom urged whoever God chooses to lead the country to prioritize the needs of the Nigerian people over personal interests.
He described the Ekiti governor as a credible presidential candidate who, like other presidential candidates, has the ability to lead the country, having performed well in previous positions, and wished that the APC chose him as its presidential candidate.
Earlier in his remarks, the APC presidential candidate, who stated that he was in the state to meet with APC delegates, stated that it was customary for him to visit his colleague, Governor Ortom, before continuing his consultations at the APC State Secretariat.
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Governor Fayemi promised that if elected president, he would retool the armed forces, ensure effective intelligence gathering, and strengthen the use of technology to combat security threats.
If he becomes the country’s next president, he said that key triggers leading to security challenges, such as extreme inequality and poverty, as well as national cohesion, must be addressed if he wants to solve the country’s many problems.
The presidential hopefuls later assured APC delegates at the Royal Choice Inn in Makurdi that whoever wins the APC ticket will be elected president.
