According to Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue, it would be challenging for stakeholders to support Atiku Abubakar, the PDP's presidential candidate, in the State.
He claimed that neither Atiku had denounced herdsmen killings in the State nor had he expressed any sympathy for the victims.
According to him, neither the Benue people nor PDP leaders could successfully promote such a candidate in the State.
Ortom addressed the Jemgbah Youths Group on Wednesday when they were there to support him for the senate in 2023 under the auspices of the Jemgbah Youth Support Group (JYSG).
He said: ” I condemned what Atiku said. He is seeking to be President of Nigeria and not Fulani alone. So, he must not seek to please Fulani alone, he must work with everyone.
“From the body language of Atiku in Kaduna, he is telling us now that he will come and continue with the killings, carnage, and displacement of Benue people as his Fulani tribe is doing. So, we cannot work for that kind of candidate.
“We have been ravaged by flood do you see Atiku visit anyone? The IDPs of 2017. Atiku came here and I suggested to him to visit the camp but he refused. All I did was provide a law to protect my people and have no issue with Fulani a man.”
Ortom commended President Muhammadu Buhari for condemning the killings in Gbeji and asked Atiku to borrow a leave from the President, saying that’s how a leader should speak despite political differences.
He also demanded a public apology from Atiku for allegedly lying against him.
He said at no time did he profile Fulani as killers, saying the killer-herdsmen came from neighbouring countries to wreak havoc in Benue.
The Governor said: “I draw the attention of Atiku via a WhatsApp chat over the comment in which he profiled me and Atiku apologised.
” I told him (Atiku) to apologise to do it in public because he made the statement against me in public and what he said was unacceptable to me but he refused.
” You cannot undress an elder in public and dress him in the room so he must apologise in public.
He continued: ” I want to put it on record that at no time I told Atiku that some of my people are stealing my cows. He lied against me and it is unbecoming of a presidential candidate to be telling lies.”
He added: ” I have not profiled Fulani as immoral because it would be an illogical fallacy to say all Fulani are bad as I’m working with some Fulani while others are my friends, I have not sent any Fulani away from Benue State.
” But there are Fulani coming from Chad, Niger, and Cameroon to occupy our land, it’s unacceptable and I cannot keep quiet”.
He asked Atiku to apologise to the Tiv people because he had committed sacrilege against them.