2027: I Remain Committed To Southern Presidency, Stand With Tinubu, Wike – Ortom

The immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has said he has no reason or plan to support the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, or any other northern candidate for President in 2027.

Ortom maintained that he remains committed to the Southern presidency in 2027.

The former governor specifically said he stands with President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Nyesom Wike ahead of the the forthcoming polls.

Recall that, a group International Centre for Transparency Nigeria (ICTN), had alleged among other things, that Ortom is involved in an arrangement to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 presidential election.

But in a statement issued by Ortom’s media aide, Zege Paul Terhide, on Monday, the former governor described the allegation as false, baseless and inconsistent with his well-known and long-standing position on equity, fairness and justice in the leadership of Nigeria.

The statement said Ortom’s position on the presidency of Nigeria has not changed.

Parts of 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”

“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.”

Ortom stated further, “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.

The statement added, “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” the statement said.