Insecurity may jeopardise 2023 polls, Ortom warns

GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom has expressed doubt about the possibility of having a successful general elections in 2023 with the prevailing insecurity in the country.

Fielding questions from newsmen, yesterday, shortly after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Ortom appealed to Nigerians not to allow their aspirations for the 2023 elections to jeopardise the unity and progress of the nation.

The meeting took place three days after he was attacked by those he referred to as “herders” while on his farm on the outskirts of Makurdi.

The governor said, “I want to also appeal to Nigerians. 2023, yes to a politician is not far, but it is still a long way. If we secure our country and everything is going fine, then we can talk about 2023.

“But the way things are going, if we don’t secure the country, there is no way we can be talking about 2023.For me, I want us as leaders of this country, we have taken oaths of office, let us abide by those things we have said and work together as a team; leave politics aside, leave ethnicity aside and secure the country. We have no other country than the Nigeria we live in.”

He also warned those he said were fond of making inflammatory statements to desist forthwith.

The governor said, “I am aware that the security challenges in our country today are not about the President or we, state governors. They are about every citizen of this country, so we must work together to surmount them.

“I also want Nigerians to know, especially those who are responsible for making inflammatory statements, that we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder (sic) and everybody is not in doubt in Nigeria today, about the security situation.

“Without security, there can be no meaningful progress and so it is important to put heads together.

“Let’s do the things that are lawful; protect the provisions of the constitution of the Nigeria so that everybody will be secured. Let there be equity, fairness and justice. That is what I stand for.”