Federal highways and major streets in Makurdi, the Benue State Capital, were on Wednesday blocked by thousands of Benue youths under the aegis of Concerned Benue Citizens (CBC) who were staging a 5000 man solidarity match for Governor Samuel Ortom.
KemiFilaniNews gathered that a section of the federal roads in the town was blocked by the mammoth crowd, and vehicles resolved to use one lane which led to heavy gridlock.
The youths were seen carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs.
Some of the placards read, “Benue Youths Stand With Ortom“, “Ortom Keep Speaking For Nigeria“, “Ortom Benue Hero”, and so on.
The solidarity walk started from the popular JS Tarka Foundation and then proceeded to the city center and the Food Basket Roundabout in Wurukum.
This coming barely 48 hours after the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, and Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Senator George Akume, held a solidarity match for President Muhammadu Buhari in Benue amidst heavy security with an armoured personnel carrier in tow.
Some of the youths who spoke with to our correspondent on anonymous conditions said they are matching in solidarity with Governor over the weighty allegations leveled against him by political rival, George Akume at a press conference in Abuja where he among other things called for the removal of Governor Ortom from office over alleged incompetency.
Ortom had since tackled the minister, filling a N60 billion lawsuit against Akume for defamation.
The youths also added that the match is also to show solidarity with the Governor who has been vocal about the worsening insecurity in the country.
Governor Ortom recently lamented that insecurity in the state was causing him erectile dysfunction.
“Whenever I’m on top of my wife and I remember people in IDPs camps in Benue because of Fulani herdsmen, my thing goes flat,” the Governor bitterly complained in a video that has since gone viral.
Photos from the solidarity match:
