The immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has disclosed plans by the G5 or the Integrity Group in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to support President Bola Tinubu in 2027 if he decides to seek re-election in office.
Ortom made the disclosure on Sunday, at a luncheon hosted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The G5 includes Ortom; Wike; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and the immediate past governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).
The group within the PDP worked against the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the February 25, 2023, presidential election, and supported Tinubu, a southern candidate, who eventually emerged as the winner of the poll.
Recall that the former Benue governor supported Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, and also failed to secure victory in his senatorial election. Ortom said on Sunday, that the G5 has no regret for supporting Tinubu in the presidential election.
While Wike had in November 2023, said he would not contest for presidency in 2027 if President Tinubu decides to seek re-election in office, Ortom said the immediate past governor of Rivers State had declared that the group would support President Tinubu in 2027.
He said, “Our leader, Nyesom Wike, has already made a declaration that in 2027, we are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We have nowhere to go because that is what Nigerians believe. Even the past administration that took Nigeria from top to bottom, we allowed them to work for eight years. So, why can’t a seasoned administrator in the person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rule us for eight years?”