The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Benue State, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, has rejected a report alleging that he is part of a political arrangement involving former Governor Samuel Ortom, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 elections.
Aondoakaa’s media office, in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, James Ian, on Saturday, described the report as false and lacking credible evidence.
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The statement said no meeting, negotiation or agreement had taken place between Aondoakaa and the political figures named in the report for the purpose of supporting Atiku’s presidential ambition.
The media office also raised questions over the identity and credibility of the organisation reportedly responsible for the allegation, identified in the report as the “International Centre for Transparency Nigeria.”
According to the statement, the report did not provide a verifiable communiqué, documentary evidence or independent confirmation to substantiate the alleged political arrangement.
Aondoakaa: My Priority Is Benue
The PDP candidate’s camp said Aondoakaa’s attention remained focused on the 2027 Benue governorship election and the development challenges confronting the state.
It said his political vision was to build an inclusive coalition involving Benue people across political, ethnic and religious divides.
The statement listed security, economic recovery, agricultural development, employment creation and responsible governance among the key priorities associated with his political agenda.
It warned against attempts to interpret ordinary political engagements and consultations as evidence of clandestine arrangements.
Why Ortom’s Name Has Become Contentious
The statement recalled that Ortom was among the G-5 governors who opposed Atiku’s presidential candidacy during the 2023 election cycle.
According to the Aondoakaa camp, Ortom had argued that after eight years of northern presidency, equity and fairness required the presidency to move to the South.
It said the former governor’s position was widely known and questioned the factual basis for reports suggesting a new arrangement involving him and Atiku.
The statement similarly dismissed the inclusion of Akume in the alleged arrangement, arguing that prominent political names alone could not establish the existence of a political agreement.
Camp Demands Proof
Aondoakaa’s media office challenged the promoters of the report to provide specific evidence supporting the allegation.
It asked them to identify the venue and date of the alleged meeting, the person who convened it, the participants and any documentary evidence arising from it.
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The camp further alleged that some political actors were becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Aondoakaa’s emergence as the PDP candidate and were therefore resorting to what it described as manufactured controversies.
It maintained that no agreement exists between Aondoakaa, Ortom and Akume to support Atiku ahead of 2027.
The media office urged the public to treat the alleged arrangement as unsubstantiated unless credible evidence is produced.
