Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Benue State chapter of All Progressive Congress may be difficult for the opposition parties to unseat if the governor of the State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia can boldly hold the bull by its horns and follow the Zoning arrangements which he himself has been championing.
According to findings, there will be so much troubles in the ruling party in Benue state as a result of the numbers of over ambitious aspirants that are jostling for Senate and House of Representatives tickets.
However, research showed that a proper zoning arrangement by the leader of the party in Benue state, Governor Hyacinth Alia will resolve all the political disputes. This proper zoning arrangement will make the masses to be happy since they too are clamouring for equity and fairness in sharing all the elective posts within the APC.
To face opposition parties like the People’s Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party, the ruling APC needs to do a proper zoning of elective positions especially the Senate and House of Representatives.
Recall that recently, the leader of Kwande APC and one of the lead point men of the governor, Chief Moses Ternenge raised an alarm over plans to shortchanged Kwande in the arrangement of Benue Northeast senatorial zone.
According to Ternenge, it’s only Kwande which has always been one of the deciding areas to winning any governorship election that hasn’t produced senator since the creation of the State.
Apart from Ternenge who seems to have declared his senatorial ambition for the Benue Northeast senatorial zone, other prominent sons of Kwande who are members of the All Progressive Congress have said that Governor Alia, in his wisdom should deem it fit to zone the Senate ticket to Kwande since it appears that APC governorship ticket will be retained in Jechira in favour of the governor.
Some leaders of the Benue APC stated that the governor should be able to use his wisdom and do a proper zoning arrangement to liberate the people of any area that feels marginalized so that the masses will continue to be happy with his administration.
Clear argument is that from 1999 to 2027, Sankera has produced senators for sixteen years, Jechira has produced senators for twelve years while Kwande has never produced senator
Important people within the Benue APC are saying with one voice that they will team up with Moses Ternenge to ensure that the next senator from Zone A is produced by Kwande since it appears that it would be difficult to achieve this again after 2027.
Many are also of the opinion that since Kwande is claiming the party’s senatorial ticket for Zone A, then the House of Representatives ticket of the ruling party should be zoned to Ushongo for equity sake.
For the Jechira House of Representatives ticket, various APC party men who spoke with Nigerian Concord Newspaper are of the opinion that the ticket should be given to one of the aspirants in Konshisha since it appears that Vandekya local government will retain the party’s governorship ticket.
They concluded that since Governor Hyacinth Alia from Vandekya is already enjoying a standing policy of the APC National Working Committee which gives a return ticket to all first time governor’s under the ruling party, then the party’s ticket for the Jechira House of Representatives should automatically be zoned to Konshisha.
In Benue Northwest Senatorial Zone, this newspaper found out that it’s only Nongov axis within MINDA just like Kwande that has never produced senator since the return of democracy in 1999.
Recall that major blocks in Jemgbagh – Tarkaa and Buruku got it repeatedly for Senator George Akume and Senator Orker Jev so for Nongov not to feel marginalized, the APC Zone B ticket should be zoned there this time around being a vital part of MINDA that has never produced senator.
APC leaders from Benue Northwest who spoke with this newspaper stated that the party will have issues in the zone if a proper zoning is not done. They agreed that Nongov too should be considered like Kwande just as both clans have never produced senator since 1999.
It is important to state that the Ihiarev has produced senators two times (Waku and Zam) while the Masev too has produced senators twice (Adaagba and Fred Orti) as well. But Nongov which is a very vital part of MINDA has never been able to produce senator since the return of democracy in 1999 so it’s incumbent that the APC ticket be zoned there being the only part of Guma that has never produced senator within MINDA.
Recall that MINDA is made up of Ihiarev, Masev and Nongov. While Ihiarev and Masev have produced senators two times each, only Nongov has never produced senator for once.
Now that Governor Alia has been clamouring for a proper zoning arrangement for all elective positions within the ruling party, the people of Kwande and Nongov are calling on him to use his wisdom as a Reverend Gentleman who has the interest of the masses in his heart to consider the two areas that have never produced senator since 1999.
Other party leaders who spoke with this newspaper said that Governor Alia shouldn’t let senatorial aspirants whose clans have produced senators in the past create problems for him with their secret plots to disrupt his planned zoning arrangements.
According to them, those aspirants should consider themselves as leaders of the party and help the governor in his quest to do a proper zoning so that the areas that have been marginalized in the past can also benefit this time around..