Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said he has no regrets about not supporting Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 general elections.

Ortom, who was one of the five PDP governors known as the G5, openly rejected Atiku’s candidacy and instead supported Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu later won the election.

In a recent interview on Channels TV, Ortom explained that his decision was not about betrayal, but about standing up for what he believed was right. He said politics should be about serving the interest of the people, not just following party lines. According to him, it would have been unfair for another northerner to take over the presidency immediately after President Muhammadu Buhari, who ruled for eight years.

Ortom pointed out that many Nigerians believe in an unwritten rule that the presidency should rotate between the North and South. He said it was only fair that a southern candidate should be supported in 2023, and that’s why he chose not to support Atiku. For him, it was all about equity, fairness, and justice.

He emphasized that his decision was in line with the wishes of his people in Benue State. He said if someone is working against the interest of his people, then he has a duty to resist it. In his words, politics is a game of interest, and his priority was to defend the interest of those he represented.

Samuel Ortom’s stand highlights the importance of putting people first in politics, even if it means going against party expectations. He believes that leadership is about doing what is right for the people, even when it’s not the easiest path to take.