The immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has dismissed insinuations that his actions against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 presidential election amounted to a betrayal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Naijaonpoint recalls that Ortom was one of the five then-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, collectively known as the G5, who publicly rejected Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate and threw their support behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ortom, while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, declared that he holds no regret for working against Atiku.

According to the former Governor, politics is a game of interest, and he will fight back against anyone working against his interest and that of his people.

Ortom further argued that it was inconceivable for another northerner, Atiku, to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, who had just served eight years in office.

He said, “I did not hide it. I have no regret. Which betrayal? Pursuing my interest and the interest of my people? The interest of my people is that you provide what they want.

“If you ask me, I would describe politics as a game of doing what your people want, not what I want.

“Politics is a game of interest, and if I have somebody working against my interest and the interest of my people, I have to fight back.”

Ortom also stated that people are free to join the opposition coalition launched under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), adding he has no intention of leaving PDP.

He said, “People are free to join any coalition that they so wish, but for me, and the people that I lead, we remain in PDP. I’m the leader of PDP in Benue State and a member of the BoT.”