Benue governorship election: Idoma rejects deputy governor slot

The Benue Rebirth Movement(BRM), has threatened ostracism against any Idoma indigene that succumbs to play second fiddle in the next governorship election in Benue State, saying such a person will be declared persona non grata in Idoma land.

Addressing newsmen in Jos, a leader of the group, Major General Geoffery Ejiga (rtd), who expressed bitterness over the continued marginalisation of the Idoma in Benue State, stated that from 1999 to date the Idoma which occupies zone C senatorial district of the state has always been denied the opportunity to govern the state whenever the opportunity arises.Given the background of agreement on the zoning of political offices in Benue State, General Ejiga (rtd) explained that BRM  based its agitation on zoning, on the agreement reached in 1999, adding that at a meeting in Chief Barnabas Germade house in Makurdi in 1999, it was agreed that governorship position will rotate among the three zones in the state.

According to him, the position before 1999 was reviewed and it was realised that the two previous elected governors Aper Aku and Father Adasu were all from Zone A adding that it was restarted from Zone B and expected to rotate to Zone C and A respectively while the George Akume from Zone B was elected.

“At the end of Akume’s tenure in 2007, the Tiv people rejected the rotation to zone C for the second time. Now that Ortom is about to complete his tenure in 2023, they have again zoned it  to Zone A based on the calculation on the ground ”

He alleged that there was a  conspiracy again to deny Zone C the chance to occupy the number one seat in the state comes 2023 adding as Ortom was about to complete his tenure, Zone A and B which are predominantly Tiv will have produced four elected governors without considering Zone C.

General Ejiga (rtd) implored the Tiv in Benue State to emulate Plateau State where the governorship is being religiously rotated among the three senatorial zones without any hitch adding that the singular act has brought political stability to the state.

He further pointed out that the action of Tiv political leaders in Benue State has created unhappiness, inferiority complex and despair in Idoma land adding that there is the need to try Idoma governor to see if it will improve the fortunes of the state.

General Ejiga (rtd) added that the Tiv governors from 1999 to date have not improved the developmental fortunes of the state, adding that Benue with all its potential is the least developed state in Nigeria.

The retired Army General, therefore, declared that the Idoma in Zone C will no longer accept the position of deputy governor and threatened that any person who is of Idoma stock that accepted such will be declared persona non grata.