Samuel Ortom, former governor of Benue, says he does not support a northern presidency in the 2027 elections.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, some politicians have argued that only a northern candidate can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the next elections.
Speaking with journalists in Makurdi, the capital of Benue, on Thursday, Ortom said the south must complete eight years in power before the presidency returns to the north.
President Tinubu, a southerner from Lagos, was elected in 2023 to succeed Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner from Katsina, who served as president from 2015 to 2023.
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“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.
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“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 dismissed the opposition coalition seeking to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the PDP is not joining the opposition platform—the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“Politics is a game of interest. There are no permanent enemies, but permanent interests. What you are seeing is a normal thing in politics. It is nothing new,” he said.
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“I don’t believe in coalition. There is nothing like a coalition at the moment. We are not doing a coalition with anybody.”
Ortom added that the PDP may form alliances when appropriate.
