Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom revealed Friday why he and other members of the G5 Governors’ Forum oppose the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 elections.
Ortom, a key member of the G5 group of PDP governors, stated that the party’s failure to uphold equality, fairness, and justice is why they opted to oppose it.
Speaking on Arise TV yesterday, Ortom stated that the G5 had asked that the presidency shift to the South after eight years of Northern hegemony under President Muhammadu Buhari, but the PDP’s decision to field Atiku, who is also a Northerner, violated that principle.
“I acted as I did because we had expected the PDP to uphold equity, fairness, and justice, values I hold dear.
“When the majority of PDP members supported a Northern candidate, we deemed it unjust. We’ve always stood for equity, fairness, and justice, and we felt the presidency should alternate between the North and South for eight years each,” he said.
As head of the PDP’s zoning committee, Ortom stated that, while the committee recommended an open contest, he personally advocated for a Southern candidate.
He emphasised that the party’s National Executive Committee, or NEC, made the final decision, which resulted in Atiku’s candidature.
“I presented the committee’s report as it was, and the NEC made the final call. I couldn’t override the collective decision,” Ortom explained.
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Speaking on the role of Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, in the crisis, Ortom revealed, “We fought for Wike to be the PDP’s presidential candidate, but unfortunately, he didn’t secure the nomination. We also believed he should have been the running mate. I was part of the 20-member committee tasked with selecting a running mate, and 16 of us supported Wike. However, the candidate and the party leadership decided otherwise.”
Ortom justified his decision to back opposition candidates in 2023, claiming that politics is driven by interests.
“Politics revolves around interests. There’s no permanent enemy or friend in politics. It’s about protecting the interests of your community, your people, and yourself,” he stated.
The former Benue governor also addressed criticism that he and Wike tried to “destroy” the PDP by supporting opposition candidates. Ortom compared their strategy to that of other PDP members who backed Peter Obi of the Labour Party or Bola Tinubu of the APC.
“Peter Obi wasn’t in the PDP, but we agreed on a strategic partnership to demonstrate our influence. Some of us supported Peter Obi, others supported Tinubu, and we ended up with the current government. If God has given us President Bola Tinubu, why shouldn’t we support him?” Ortom added.
