Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has declared his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election while maintaining that he will remain a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ortom made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the political situation in Benue State and his position ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former governor said his support for Tinubu was not a recent decision, recalling that he publicly declared his backing for the President in 2023 following the appointment of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
“In 2023, I supported Obi. When Nigerians spoke and President Tinubu was president, I said, ‘If you can’t beat them, you join them,’” Ortom said.
He added that he had no regrets about the decision and remained committed to supporting Tinubu for another term.
“I, Samuel Ortom, and my people here in Benue State, as far as we’re concerned, we’re working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
However, Ortom said his support for Tinubu at the presidential level would not translate into abandoning the PDP in Benue State. He said he would support PDP candidates for the governorship and other state-level positions.
The former governor explained that he would not join the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that doing so would require him to work for the incumbent Benue governor, Hyacinth Alia, whose administration he has repeatedly criticised.
Ortom accused Alia’s administration of poor performance, disregard for the rule of law and alleged witch-hunting of political opponents. He also alleged that the state government had failed to implement local government autonomy and had not adequately addressed several governance concerns.
At the state level, Ortom has expressed support for Michael Aondoakaa, the PDP governorship candidate he identified as his preferred choice for the 2027 Benue governorship election. He also said he would support his preferred candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.
Ortom’s position means he intends to support Tinubu at the presidential level while backing PDP candidates in Benue, reflecting the increasingly complex political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
