Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has defended his decision to lend his vehicle to Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the latter’s recent visit to the state, saying leadership should rise above petty political differences.
Ortom said providing transportation for Obi was a simple act of courtesy to a former governor and presidential candidate who visited Benue on a humanitarian mission.
The former governor spoke through his media aide, Terver Akase, following criticism from the Benue State Government over his decision to assist Obi despite publicly supporting President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
Obi had visited Benue as part of efforts to meet victims and families affected by the June 2025 Yelewata massacre.
His planned trip to Yelewata, however, was disrupted after youths reportedly blocked his convoy around Gyado Villa in Makurdi.
The incident subsequently triggered a political dispute, with the state government questioning why Ortom provided his vehicle for Obi’s movement.
Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, alleged that investigations linked the vehicle used by Obi to Ortom.
But Ortom rejected any suggestion that the gesture amounted to political collaboration or disloyalty to Tinubu.
He argued that political disagreements should not erase basic courtesy, humanity and respect among leaders.
Ortom said refusing to assist Obi simply because they belonged to different political camps would have been petty and unbecoming of a former governor.
According to him, Obi is a former governor and one of the country’s prominent political figures who was in Benue for a humanitarian purpose.
He said the responsibility of receiving and assisting such a visitor should ordinarily have been undertaken by the state government.
Ortom described attempts to politicise his gesture as “ridiculous and shameful,” arguing that extending courtesy across political divides should not automatically be interpreted as political allegiance.
He maintained that his support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election was separate from his decision to assist Obi during a humanitarian visit.
The former governor said he supported Obi in the 2023 presidential election but had since publicly declared his support for Tinubu.
He therefore dismissed claims that assisting Obi made him “double-faced,” insisting that political loyalty should not prevent leaders from showing humanity to one another.
The controversy has highlighted the increasingly sharp political contest ahead of the 2027 election, with supporters of rival camps frequently interpreting even routine interactions between politicians through a partisan lens.
For Ortom, however, leadership requires a broader responsibility — putting humanity, hospitality and the interests of citizens above political rivalry.