A former chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue state, John Akperashi says governor Samuel Ortom needs to seek an alternative platform other than the APC to actualize his re-election ambition.

Speaking to journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, Akperashi, who is aspiring to be a member of the Benue State House of Assembly under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said governor Ortom would lose woefully if he contests under the platform of the APC.

While noting that the governor has no structure in the party, he added that the current APC cannot win any election in the state as a result of the wanton massacre of the people in the state since January.

“To an average Benue person, the APC is seen as Miyetti Allah party that has preference for cows over human beings. The party lacks credibility and is insensitive to the plight of the people.

“I know very well that governor Ortom is not comfortable in the APC. If he is pretending then that is his own problem. It is either he is just playing along or playing to the gallery. He is just buying time to take his decision and at the appropriate time, he will just leave.

“But he has the resources so he can do whatever he likes at any time but some of us are still growing. With what is obtainable in the APC I do not see him winning elections,” Akperashi said.

He emphasized that the governor’s chances of securing a second term in office has been brightened because of his stance against the killings in the state which prompted the enactment of the Anti-open Grazing Law.

“Yes,   he has done his best and I give him kudos for that. I have said it often that put Suswam and Ortom, he has done well more than the former in terms of protecting the lives of his people and fighting herdsmen because of the law he collaborated with Benue people to sign,” he added.

Akperashi further explained that he resigned from APC because all the people who followed governor Ortom to APC from the PDP, including himself and the governor have been sidelined.

“In everything, the people have pushed us aside and when I saw all these things, I told the governor but I could see that there was nothing he could do because even in his local government, Guma, the persons elected during the ward and local government congresses were not his loyalists.

“His hands were tied. No single person who followed him from PDP to APC had his interest protected. I told him that as a governor you can have your way but for me I cannot continue to be part of this arrangement where I will be doing political work and someone else will take the glory,” Akperashi lamented.