Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The immediate past Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, PhD has condemned media reports that he had entered into a pact with the Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Mr. Zege Paul, the member of the People’s Democratic Party Board of Trustees restated his backing for a Southern President in 2027.
Chief Ortom also reassured of his unalloyed loyalty and support for President Bola Tinubu and the Minister for FCT, Chief Nyemson Wike.
The statement reads:
The attention of the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, has been drawn to a report credited to a group which calls itself the International Centre for Transparency Nigeria (ICTN), alleging, among other things, that he is involved in an arrangement to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 presidential election.
We wish to state categorically that the allegation is false, baseless and inconsistent with Chief Ortom’s well-known and long-standing position on equity, fairness and justice in the leadership of Nigeria.
Chief Ortom’s position on the presidency of Nigeria has not changed.
Nigerians will recall that in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, Chief Ortom and four other Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who became known as the G-5 Governors, took a principled stand that after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, justice, fairness and national cohesion demanded that the presidency should rotate to the southern part of the country.
Their position was never driven by personal animosity against any individual. It was founded on the conviction that in a diverse federation such as Nigeria, the major sections of the country must have a sense of belonging and that power rotation remains an important instrument for promoting inclusion, stability and national unity.
Chief Ortom stood firmly by that conviction in 2023 despite the enormous political pressure and consequences that came with it.
His position has not changed in 2026 and will not suddenly change because some faceless group has manufactured a political story.
Chief Ortom still believes that the principle which informed the position of the G-5 in 2023 remains valid ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Having supported the rotation of the presidency to the South after eight years of a northern presidency, it would amount to a complete contradiction for him to turn around four years later and support the return of the presidency to the North.
For the avoidance of doubt, Chief Samuel 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.
In 2024, while speaking in Port Harcourt, Chief Samuel Ortom publicly declared support for President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, and he has not changed his stand. 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.
Any report suggesting otherwise is not only false but flies in the face of Chief Ortom’s publicly established political position over the years.
Chief Ortom also wishes to make it abundantly clear that he remains firmly aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, with whom he and the other members of the G-5 stood together in defence of equity and justice in 2023.
Chief Wike is the National Leader of the PDP and there has been no development whatsoever to warrant the speculation that Chief Ortom has abandoned the political position he shares with Chief Wike to enter into an arrangement with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Those attempting to manufacture such an alliance are therefore pursuing a narrative that collapses under the weight of its own contradictions.
Chief Ortom’s political position is neither ambiguous nor hidden. He stood for a southern presidency in 2023. He still stands for a southern presidency in 2027. And he remains firmly with Chief Nyesom Wike.
Another point to emphasize is that whenever Chief Ortom and other prominent Benue sons meet, their meeting is part of ongoing consultations and engagements aimed at building a broad strategic alliance of Benue stakeholders for the greater good of the state.
It is equally important to state that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, is the leader politics in Benue State whose leadership transcends political party lines. Chief Ortom and other like-minded prominent figures in the state are therefore committed to supporting him to succeed in his national assignment.
This is the first time a Benue son has occupied the highly influential position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Chief Ortom believes that Senator Akume deserves the collective support of the people of Benue State to enable him to deliver on his mandate and make the state proud.
His Excellency Ortom wishes to also state categorically that Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, remains the duly nominated Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State for the 2027 election and continues to enjoy the confidence and support of the party’s leadership, stakeholders and members across the state. His candidature is not in doubt, and claims or insinuations suggesting otherwise are baseless and should be disregarded.
Chief Ortom further reaffirms his conviction that Chief Aondoakaa possesses the experience, competence, character and capacity required to provide purposeful leadership for Benue State. He believes that Aondoakaa has the vision and ability to prudently harness the significantly increased resources accruing to the state following the removal of fuel subsidy to address Benue’s development challenges, stimulate economic growth and transform the state for the benefit of its people.
We therefore urge members of the public to disregard the false allegation credited to the so-called ICTN and treat it as another attempt by desperate political elements to manufacture divisions and create political relationships where none 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.