The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, said on Saturday the presidency should return to Southern Nigeria in the interest of justice, IgbereTV reports
Ortom stated this when the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, visited him in Makurdi, the state capital.
The governor said: “Some of us have made our position clear. We are from the North but we believe in the Southern President for fairness, equity, and justice. That is why myself and Senator Gabriel Suswam are working for southern President.
“The truth must be told to the people who have conscience that the Presidency should be given back to the South. But we will queue up behind any candidate that emerges.”
He, however, said Fayemi has what it takes to lead the country.
Ortom added: “you have capacity, charisma and education to lead the country.
“We need divine intervention in our country today. Our country has been taken from top to bottom. Just look at the challenges we are facing today. It requires the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and non- partisan people to change.
“Political parties are not the problem. In politics it is a matter of interest, no permanent enemy or friend because the fence is not tall. Our interest must be about the country. Today we are challenged whether APC or PDP.
“Look at the issue of insecurity which has never been witnessed in the history of our country. Today, the economy of this country has gone down.
“It is not about President Buhari, PDP or APC, it is about Nigerians. We used to be called the Giants of Africa, I do not know whether we are now the grasshoppers of Africa.”
The governor’s remark on the return of the presidency to Southern Nigeria would come as a surprise to Nigerians because of his involvement in the PDP’s decision to abandon the zoning principle ahead of next year’s election.
He was the chairman of the PDP zoning committee that recommended to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to throw the presidential race open to all the six geopolitical zones in the country despite the clamour for zoning of the ticket to the South.
