South should be allowed to complete eight years, I believe in a southern President – Samuel Ortom

Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has firmly opposed the idea of returning the presidency to the North in 2027, stating that the South must be allowed to complete its turn in Nigeria’s informal power-sharing agreement.

Speaking in Makurdi on July 10, Ortom insisted that even if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fields a candidate, that candidate must come from the South.

“Till today, I, Ortom, believe in a southern presidency; even if my party [the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)] is producing a candidate for presidency in 2027, the candidate must be from the south,” he said.

“South should be allowed to complete eight years. So, I do not support a northern candidate.

“There is an unwritten constitution in this country that the North should rule for eight years and the South [should also govern for] eight years.

“Anything that is not a southern presidency, I’m not in. It is wrong. We must work together as a people for our unity and diversity. The common thing we have agreed on in this country is eight years for the north and eight for the south.”

Ortom emphasized that Nigeria’s unity depends on respecting this balance, especially following President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure (2015–2023) and President Bola Tinubu’s current administration, which began in 2023.

Commenting on the rising opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ortom distanced the PDP from any merger, saying,“I don’t believe in coalition. There is nothing like a coalition at the moment. We are not doing a coalition with anybody.” He, however, left the door open to future political partnerships, stating, “The PDP may form alliances when appropriate.”