Former Benue State Governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, has firmly denied reports claiming he has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the development as false and politically motivated.

Ortom, in a statement issued Monday by his Media Adviser, Dr. Terver Akase, said the defection story circulating on social media was a deliberate fabrication designed to mislead the public and create confusion about his political allegiance.

He alleged that the rumour was orchestrated by political opponents uncomfortable with his continued influence in Benue State politics.

According to the statement, those behind the report went as far as producing and circulating a fake APC membership card purportedly bearing Ortom’s name in a bid to lend credibility to the claim.

“This act is irresponsible and exposes the level of desperation of those sponsoring the falsehood,” the statement read, stressing that the purported defection exists only in the imagination of its promoters.

The former governor reaffirmed his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he remains a committed and influential member of the party.

He also reiterated his position as leader of the PDP in Benue State and a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT.

Ortom urged the public and party supporters to disregard the defection rumour, insisting that it is a product of political anxiety and wishful thinking.