Ortom loses senatorial race to former aide, Titus Zam

Benue’s Gov. Samuel Ortom (PDP) has lost election into the Benue Northwest Senatorial seat to his former aide, Dr Titus Zam of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Declaring the result, the Returning Officer, Prof. Rufus Shaa’ato, said Zam polled 143,151votes to beat Ortom whom polled 106,882 votes, while Mr Mark Gbillah of Labour Party (LP) polled 51,950 votes.

Shaa’ato stated that Zam was declared winner having satisfied the requirements of the Electoral Law.

Zam was Ortom’s Special Adviser on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs from 2015 to 2017.

Relatedly, Shaa’ato declared Mr Dickson Tarkighir of APC winner of the Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency election.

The returning officer gave the breakdown as Tarkighir polling 49,511 votes to beat Mr Bem Mzondu (PDP) who polled 43,803 votes and Mr Jerry Agber of LP who polled 23, 414.

“Tarkighir having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared winner of the House of Representatives election for Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency,” Shaa’ato declared.

Reacting to his victory, Zam said the era of imposing non-performing candidates on the masses was over, stressing that the people were now politically conscious and they would vote out ineffective representatives.