Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has provided his rationale for why he and other members of the G5 Governors’ Forum defied the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 general elections.
Ortom stated that the G5’s actions were a stand for equity, fairness, and justice within the party.
Speaking on Arise TV, Ortom explained that their opposition stemmed from the PDP’s refusal to adhere to the principle of power rotation.
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He highlighted the G5’s insistence that the presidency should shift to the South after eight years of Northern rule under President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PDP’s decision to field Atiku, also a Northerner, directly contradicted this principle, according to Ortom.
“I acted as I did because we had expected the PDP to uphold equity, fairness, and justice, values I hold dear,” Ortom stated.
“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.”
Ortom, who chaired the PDP’s zoning committee, revealed that while the committee recommended an open contest, he advocated for a Southern presidential candidate.
He also shed light on the role of Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in the crisis.
He said they fought for Wike to be the PDP’s presidential candidate, but he didn’t secure the nomination.
He said they also believed Wike should have been the running mate, noting that he was part of the 20-member committee tasked with selecting a running mate.
“16 of us supported Wike. However, the candidate and the party leadership decided otherwise.”
Defending their decision to support opposition candidates in 2023, Ortom maintained 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 emphasised.
He likened their strategy to that of other PDP members who supported 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?”
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Ortom reaffirmed his commitment to backing a Southern presidential candidate, stressing the importance of respecting power rotation.
Atiku and PDP fire back
However, Ortom’s explanations drew sharp rebukes as Atiku dismissed the G5 members as frustrated opportunists seeking relevance.
Atiku, through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, vehemently rejected the G5’s narrative.
Atiku contended there was ‘nothing noble’ about the G5’s rebellion, dismissing it as ‘a gamble rooted in personal ambition, ego, and frustration over political miscalculations.’
Shaibu pointed out that Ortom himself chaired the PDP’s zoning committee which recommended an open contest, a decision adopted by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
“To now feign surprise or outrage over a process one midwifed is to play the ostrich,” Shaibu asserted.
He also argued that Atiku’s ambition transcended geographical lines, portraying him as a democratic bridge-builder.
Shaibu criticised Ortom’s ‘ideological hopscotch’ in endorsing both Obi and supporting Tinubu, interpreting it as ‘opportunistic drift in search of relevance.’
READ ALSO: Ortom, Anyanwu, others face PDP axe over anti-party activities
PDP accused Ortom of prioritising personal interests over genuine principles of fairness in the 2023 polls.
This exchange of words coincided with former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu resigning from the PDP, citing the party’s alleged capture by ‘anti-democratic forces.’
