Ortom backs Tinubu for 2027 after supporting Peter Obi in 2023, saying his decision followed Tinubu’s emergence as president
Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has explained his decision to back President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election despite supporting Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Peter Obi in 2023.
Also read: Ex-Katsina Senator Bello Mandiya Dies at 62
Samuel Ortom made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, describing his decision to support Bola Tinubu as a deliberate political choice.
The former governor said he publicly declared his support for Tinubu after his former G5 colleague, Nyesom Wike, was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Ortom said he had no regrets about backing the president and maintained that his political position had evolved since the 2023 election.
“I made a statement, and I have no regret making that statement, that in 2027 some of us will support Tinubu to win,” Ortom said.
Ortom had supported Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, when the Labour Party candidate campaigned on the platform of a new political direction.
Tinubu, who contested for the All Progressives Congress, eventually won the election and was sworn in as president in May 2023.
Explaining his subsequent change of position, Ortom said he decided to align with the candidate who emerged victorious rather than continue opposing the new administration.
“In 2023, I supported Obi. When Nigerians spoke, and President Tinubu was president, I said, ‘If you can’t beat them, you join them,’” he said.
The former governor’s position is significant as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with opposition groups and political alliances taking shape across the country.
Ortom was one of the five governors who formed the G5 during the build-up to the 2023 election.
The group, which also included Nyesom Wike, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, opposed the then Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over the party’s leadership arrangement.
The G5 governors became influential figures in the political realignment that preceded the 2023 election, although their individual political paths have since diverged.
Ortom’s latest declaration places him firmly in support of Tinubu ahead of 2027, while Peter Obi is expected to contest the next presidential election under the NDC platform.
The development comes on the same day Peter Obi’s convoy was reportedly blocked by protesters in Makurdi during a visit to Benue State.
The protesters were reported to have chanted opposition to Obi as his convoy attempted to proceed along Gboko Road.
Peter Obi said he had travelled to the state to sympathise with victims of insecurity, while the circumstances surrounding the reported blockade have generated competing political claims.
Ortom’s endorsement of Tinubu adds another layer to the political contest in Benue, where Peter Obi retains a significant political following after his strong performance in the state during the 2023 presidential election.
Also read: Ex-Katsina Senator Bello Mandiya Dies at 62
As the 2027 contest gathers momentum, the former governor’s shift from supporting Obi to backing Tinubu illustrates the continuing political realignments likely to shape the next presidential race.
