Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has dismissed reports linking him to an alleged political arrangement to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election.
Ortom, through his Media Assistant, Paul Zege, described the report as false and said his position on the rotation of the presidency to the southern part of the country remained unchanged.
According to Zege, the former governor would not support a return of the presidency to the North in 2027.
He said the report attributed to a group identified as the International Centre for Transparency Nigeria was inconsistent with Ortom’s long-standing position on equity, fairness and justice.
Ortom and four other governors who formed the Peoples Democratic Party’s G-5 during the build-up to the 2023 elections had advocated the rotation of power to the South after eight years of northern leadership under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“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 said.
Zege said supporting the return of the presidency to the North only four years after the G-5 advocated power rotation to the South would contradict Ortom’s earlier position.
“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,” he said.
The statement also reaffirmed Ortom’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
It recalled that Ortom publicly declared support for Tinubu during an engagement in Port Harcourt in 2024.
“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,” the statement said.
Ortom also reaffirmed his political relationship with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, with whom he and other G-5 governors worked during the 2023 political crisis.
On meetings between Ortom and other prominent Benue politicians, Zege said the engagements were consultations aimed at building a broad strategic alliance of stakeholders for the benefit of the state.
He added that Ortom recognised Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, as the leader of politics in Benue State and remained committed to supporting him in his national assignment.
Ortom also reaffirmed his support for the PDP governorship candidate in Benue State, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, describing him as the party’s duly nominated candidate for the 2027 election.
He said Aondoakaa had the experience, competence, character and capacity required to provide purposeful leadership for the state.
Ortom urged the public to disregard the alleged ICTN report, describing it as an attempt by political elements to create divisions and manufacture political alliances that did not exist.
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