Ex-Governor Challenges Report Linking Him to Northern Presidential Bid Ahead of 2027
By Our Correspondent
Former Benue State Governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, has fired back at reports allegedly linking him to a political arrangement in support of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 presidential election.
Ortom, in a statement issued through his Media Assistant, Zege Paul Terhide, on Monday, described the alleged arrangement as false and contrary to his established political position.
The statement came in response to a report attributed to the International Centre for Transparency Nigeria (ICTN).
‘It Contradicts Everything I Stood For’
Ortom said his position on the presidency had remained consistent since the 2023 elections, when he and the other members of the PDP’s G-5 Governors insisted that power should shift to the South after eight years of Northern presidency under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He argued that supporting a Northern presidential candidate in 2027 would contradict the principle that informed the G-5 position.
According to him, the demand for Southern presidency was rooted in equity, fairness and national unity rather than personal opposition to any individual.
“Chief Ortom believes that the presidency should remain in the South in 2027,” the statement declared.
Tinubu Still Has Ortom’s Back
The former governor further recalled that he publicly declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 during an engagement in Port Harcourt in 2024.
He said his position had not changed and maintained that Tinubu should be given the opportunity to consolidate his reforms.
This, according to Ortom, makes reports of his alleged support for Atiku incompatible with his publicly established political stance.
‘No Break With Wike’
Ortom also dismissed suggestions that he had fallen out with Wike.
He said he remained firmly aligned with the FCT Minister, recalling their shared position during the G-5 crisis in the PDP ahead of the 2023 election.
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According to the statement, there had been no development capable of warranting claims that Ortom had abandoned that political position.
Akume, Aondoakaa Also Get Ortom’s Backing
The statement also addressed Benue’s internal political dynamics.
Ortom expressed support for SGF George Akume, describing him as the leader of politics in Benue State and urging stakeholders to support his national assignment.
He equally reaffirmed his support for Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, as the PDP’s 2027 governorship candidate in Benue State.
Ortom said Aondoakaa possessed the experience and capacity to address the state’s development challenges and manage its increased revenue.
‘Disregard the Allegation’
The former governor urged the public to disregard the alleged ICTN report, describing it as political fabrication designed to create divisions among prominent political actors.
He maintained that the principles of equity, justice and fairness that guided the G-5 Governors remain relevant ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
