Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, insisting that the presidency should remain in the southern part of the country.
Ortom also dismissed reports alleging that he was working with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, describing the claim as false and politically motivated.
The former governor made his position known in a statement issued on Monday by his Media Assistant, Zege Paul Terhide, in response to a report attributed to a group known as the International Centre for Transparency Nigeria.
The group had allegedly claimed that Ortom was involved in an arrangement to support Atiku, a northerner, for the presidency in 2027.
But Ortom, according to the statement, said such an arrangement was contrary to his long-standing position on power rotation and equity in the country.
“Chief Ortom believes that the presidency should remain in the South in 2027. He therefore has no reason whatsoever to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar or any other northern candidate for President in 2027,” the statement said.
Ortom, who was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s G-5 governors ahead of the 2023 election, had supported the argument that power should shift to the South after the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The statement noted that Ortom’s position was based on the need for fairness, inclusion and national cohesion, adding that he had maintained the same position despite political pressure at the time.
It further stated that Ortom declared his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election during a public engagement in Port Harcourt in 2024 and had not rescinded his position.
“His conviction is that the President is the right man for the job, as he has started well and should be supported to complete his major reforms in the country’s economy and overall development,” the statement added.
Ortom also reaffirmed his political relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying there had been no development to suggest that he had abandoned the position they shared as members of the G-5.
The former governor also clarified that meetings involving him and other prominent Benue stakeholders were aimed at consultations and building a broad political alliance for the development of the state.
On the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Ortom was quoted as describing him as the leader of Benue politics whose leadership transcended party lines.
The former governor said he and other prominent Benue figures remained committed to supporting Akume in his national assignment, describing his appointment as the first time a Benue indigene had occupied the influential SGF position.
Ortom also reaffirmed the candidature of Michael Aondoakaa as the PDP governorship candidate in Benue State for the 2027 election, saying he remained confident in his experience and capacity to lead the state.
He urged members of the public to disregard the alleged ICTN report, describing it as an attempt by political actors to create divisions and manufacture alliances that did not exist.
“Chief Ortom remains committed to the principles of equity, justice and fairness which informed the historic position of the G-5 Governors, and no amount of political fabrication will rewrite that record,” the statement concluded.