Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has unequivocally stated that he has no regrets about actively opposing the presidential ambition of his party’s flag bearer, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 general elections.
Ortom, a key member of the G5 group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors who openly backed Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the declaration during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
“I did not hide it. I have no regret,” Ortom affirmed, dismissing any notion of betrayal.
He framed his actions as a pursuit of his own interests and, crucially, the collective desires of his constituents. “Which betrayal?” he queried.
“Pursuing my interest and the interest of my people? The interest of my people is that you provide what they want. If you ask me, I would describe politics as a game of doing what your people want, not what I want.
“Politics is a game of interest, and if I have somebody working against my interest and the interest of my people, I have to fight back.”
Ortom articulated his opposition to Atiku’s candidacy based on a principle of regional equity.
He found it unacceptable for another northerner to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari after eight years in office.
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“We were preaching equity, fairness and justice,” Ortom explained.
“How can you explain to me that a northern won the presidency for eight years and another northern, from the same ethnic group, will win the presidency for another four years or eight years, as the case may be? Our democracy has not gotten to that level.”
He asserted that an “unwritten constitution” dictates a rotational presidency between North and South, justifying his support for a southern candidate in the last election.
Despite recent political realignments, Ortom confirmed he has no intention of leaving the PDP.
While acknowledging Atiku’s recent departure from the party, he expressed scepticism about the longevity of the new opposition coalition, formed under the banner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and reportedly involving prominent Benue politicians like David Mark and Gabriel Suswam.
“People are free to join any coalition that they so wish, but for me, and the people that I lead, we remain in PDP,” Ortom stated firmly.
“I’m the leader of PDP in Benue State and a member of the BoT. I am not joining any coalition. We have no business with that. I don’t see it surviving.
“In any case, even if they survive, if they are through with the litigation that is going on, they will be defeated hands down.”
