Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has declared that he has no regrets for working against the presidential bid of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general election, despite Atiku being the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his party at the time.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ortom said his decision to support a southern presidential candidate over Atiku was rooted in the interest of his people and the principle of fairness.
“I did not hide it. I have no regret,” Ortom stated emphatically. “Pursuing my interest and the interest of my people cannot be termed betrayal. Politics is a game of interest. If someone is working against my people’s interest, I will fight back.”
Ortom was part of the PDP G5 governors who openly rejected Atiku’s candidacy and instead aligned with the then-All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, who later emerged as president.
The former governor argued that allowing another northerner to succeed Muhammadu Buhari after his eight-year tenure would have violated the principle of rotation that has underpinned Nigeria’s fragile political balance.
“We preached equity, fairness and justice. How do you justify a northerner ruling for eight years and another from the same region and ethnic group succeeding him? Our democracy hasn’t matured to that level,” he said. “It was only right that power shifted to the South.”
Reacting to Atiku’s recent resignation from the PDP and the unveiling of a new political coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by some top Benue politicians, including David Mark and Gabriel Suswam, Ortom dismissed the move as unsustainable.
“People are free to join any coalition, but for me and those I lead, we remain in the PDP. I’m a member of the PDP Board of Trustees and the party’s leader in Benue,” he affirmed. “I don’t see that coalition surviving. Even if they succeed with the litigation they are facing, they’ll be defeated hands down.”
Ortom’s comments reflect deepening political realignments in the North Central region ahead of the 2027 general elections, as former allies part ways and jostle for relevance in the unfolding political landscape.
