2023 PDP presidential ticket: I was quoted out of context ― Ortom
The Benue State Governor and Chairman of the Zoning Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Samuel Ortom, has said that he was quoted out of context on the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 election.
The position of the Governor was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, on Wednesday.
Ikyur said Ortom spoke on an Arise TV program: “Morning Show.”
The Governor was quoted as having said: “So I want to clear the insinuation that the zoning committee has thrown open the presidential ticket. “I did inform the media yesterday that the committee had adopted a unanimous position to be presented to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
“Where did I say that the committee has thrown open the presidential ticket?
“The committee will present the report to NEC.
“It is NEC that has the final authority on the zoning of positions.
“As far as the committee was concerned, there were arguments that the presidential ticket should go to the South.
“Some said it should go to the Northern part of the country.
“There were others who were of the opinion that it should be thrown open to allow the best candidate who will be able to deliver good governance and make Nigerians feel like human beings again, contest.
“As the chairman of the committee, I did not say it has been thrown up.
“So it is very wrong for anyone to insinuate that we have thrown the presidential ticket open.
“I am still repeating that, whatever we did, we have submitted our report to NEC.
“So it is wrong for the media to come out with a position despite the fact that they were not members of the committee.
“So it is wrong completely.
“I did not say that.
“And like I said, NEC is the final authority on deciding where the position will be zoned to.
“And the party leadership is consciously working towards ensuring that the party gets it right this time.
“I believe that at the …