Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has revealed that he opposed the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer in the 2023 general elections, in support of equity and power rotation.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, Ortom said his decision was driven by the principle of fairness. He argued that after eight years of northern leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency should have shifted to the South.
“And when members of the PDP overwhelmingly accepted that the presidency should remain in the North, we said no—it was wrong,” Ortom said. “Everyone knows that for equity, fairness, and justice, we should allow the North to have it for eight years, then the South.”
Ortom, who contested a Senate seat in 2023 but lost, admitted that his stance against Atiku may have cost him politically. However, he emphasized that standing for what he believes in was more important.
“I’ve already made my position known. I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I made it clear that I worked against the PDP in the 2023 election. Even if I lost my senatorial election after eight years as governor, it doesn’t matter,” he stated. “Let it be known that there are people who believe in justice, equity, and fairness.”
Ortom was part of the G5, a group of five PDP governors who opposed Atiku’s candidacy on the grounds that the party violated its power-rotation principle by nominating a northerner.
