I Will Support A Southern President Come 2027 – Ortom

Immediate past Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom and Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue state has said he will still support the emergence of a Southern President come 2027.

Ortom stated this during an interactive session with newsmen in Makurdi, on Thursday.

The former governor who said he would continue to insist on the emergence of a southern president, stressed that the South has to complete their 8-year tenure as president before it moves to any other part of the country.

Chief Ortom also stated that he would not be vying for any elective office in 2027.

The former Governor who is also member, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said the PDP and he in particular, does not believe in forming a coalition.

He however stated that the party is open to strategic partnership and also prepared to discuss with those who are ready to come up with solutions that would add value to the people of the country.

He said “Let me make it loud and clear that the Presidency belongs to the South in 2027; I will not support any candidate from the North in 2027.

“I have also publicly said that I will not contest any election in 2027,” but he further stated that if he were given any appointment, he would be ready to serve so far as the position would be beneficial to his people.

He lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who he said was heading in the right direction, saying what the nation needs at this moment was reforms that would rebrand the country and make it better and this far the president was doing his best.

He appealed to Benue people to pray for President Tinubu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume and Governor Hyacinth Alia to succeed in office even as he hailed the SGF, for the role he played in the emergence of three past governors of the state; Senator Gabriel Suswam, himself and Governor Alia.

On insecurity, Ortom who stated that it should be left for his successor to handle, recalled that during his tenure he implemented the Anti-Open Grazing Law, as a people oriented project, which reduced issues of insecurity to a large extent.

Ortom proposed that since armed herdsmen have continued to cause havoc, the people should be allowed to carry automatic weapons to defend themselves.