Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has declared his willingness to forfeit his senatorial ambition in order to support Peter Obi’s bid to become Nigeria’s next president. Ortom, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), made the announcement while addressing the Igbo community in Benue State. The governor’s comments may have been a response to the possibility of being sanctioned by the PDP’s national leadership for his involvement in a rebellion against the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Ortom has been a vocal supporter of Obi, who is running under the Labour Party (LP) banner. The two politicians share a desire to see a southern candidate succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Obi has been a popular candidate, especially among young people, and is running against two other major candidates: Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
“For me, it’s not even that I’m contesting an election. Yes, the form was bought for me by the people of Benue State. I’ve gone round; they have accepted that they will vote (for) me. But if I’m to sacrifice my senatorial ambition for Peter Obi to win, so shall it be,” Ortom said.
Ortom believes that Obi’s candidacy represents an opportunity for the Igbo community in the South-east to produce a Nigerian president. He went on to describe Obi as “a species that is not bound by ethnicity.” The governor urged Nigerians to support Obi’s candidacy, regardless of political affiliation, saying that Obi’s campaign was about Nigeria, not just one party or region.
Ortom’s announcement has highlighted the growing divisions within the PDP, which has been beset by internal wrangling since Abubakar secured the party’s presidential nomination in May last year. Ortom was part of a group of governors, known as the G5, who formed a rebellion against Abubakar and have been calling for a southerner to lead the party in order to achieve regional balance. Despite the PDP’s troubles, all eyes will be on Nigeria this Saturday, 25 February, when the presidential election takes place.
