In Benue State, Governor Gabriel Suswam will be handing over the mantle of leadership to another person come May 2015, having spent the maximum constitutional two terms of eight years in office. Whoever will take over from Suswam will be expected to carry the people’s hopes for improved welfare and security.
A kind of zoning arrangement has been in place over time in the state, even though it has mainly been among the two Tiv-dominated, hugely population zones of Benue North East and Benue North West. There is a growing recognition nevertheless that Benue South should be given the chance, since the two Tiv-speaking zones have governed in the persons of Senator George Akume (1999-2007) and Suswam (2007 till date). Benue South is largely Idoma.
But, the only obstacle to the Benue South agitation is the governorship aspiration of a Tiv sub-tribe, which also feels they have been alienated. This feeling is based on the fact that of the five families that make up the Tiv lineage, the Masev, Ihiarev, Nongov, collectively known as the MINDA, have not produced a governor of the state since its creation in 1976. The other four members of the Tiv family have ruled the state and so there is sympathy among the Tiv population for the MINDA to succeed Suswam before power could rotate Benue South.
Besides zoning, other factors expected to shape the emergence of the next governor of Benue State are political experience and educational background.
The APC’s chances in Benue this time around are fairly bright. Though Benue has been governed by the PDP since the return to civilian rule in 1999, the APC has been making incursions into the state over the years. So far, only three persons are contesting for the party’s governorship ticket for the forthcoming election. They are: the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Emmanuel Jime; retired Permanent Secretary, Akanga Audu; and the 2011 governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Prof. Steven Ugba.
Jime
Given the circumstances surrounding the race for the APC ticket in the state, Jime who has become more or less the rallying point for the party in Benue State in recent times perhaps has the brightest chance in the contest. Barring any last minute political realignment in the fold, he looks set to get the ticket. This is because he appears to be the most sellable candidate for the party in next year’s governorship contest.
This could be gleaned from the massive support he enjoys from party members and the generality of the people in the state, who see him as a symbol of their yearnings and aspirations for change. For instance, he was surrounded by die-hard supporters three weeks ago when he arrived Makurdi, the Benue State capital, to pick up his nomination form.
A former speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and two-time member of the House of Representative, Jime only recently defected from the PDP to the APC and he is viewed as the likely candidate of the party. Jime, who hails from Makurdi in the MINDA area, has promised to bring policies that would bring the majority of the people out of poverty, if he becomes governor.
Audu
Audu, a former Permanent Secretary who served the current administration of Governor Suswan, is perceived as competent and qualified to govern. The big-time farmer who is also from the MINDA’s axis, equally served former Governor Akume.
But, critics say age is no longer on his side and that he may be a hard sell for the party during the election.
Ugba
As a former governorship candidate of one of the legacy parties that formed the APC, Ugba equally has a good chance of picking the ticket. He gave incumbent Governor Suswan a good fight during the the last election in 2011 and by even by pursuing his petition to the Supreme Court.
But, observers say he may have lost the passion and drive for the contest, following his long-drawn out battle with Suswan. For instance, such observers argue that his presence when Jime collected his nomination form suggests that he might step down for the latter in the very last minute.
Others
The former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, who has just transferred allegiance to the APC, may be a surprise beneficiary of the party’s governorship ticket. Ortom switched loyalty at the last minute, when he realized that his aspirations within his former party, the PDP, were under threat.
A grassroots politician, Dr. Ortom enjoyed wide support within the party and outside and therefore, stands a better chance of becoming the flag bearer of PDP in the state. He possessed the kind of charisma that is highly valued in political circles and his popularity cut across all the three senatorial districts of the state.
Even before now, he has always enjoyed the support from the opposition. Many have argued that he knows the job description better than other aspirants, having been an industrialist, entrepreneur and a farmer by extension.
Senator Joseph Waku also joined the contest for the governorship ticket of the APC two weeks ago. Waku left the PDP in 2003, after he had served as Senator on the platform of the party. He said he is in the race on the platform of the APC so that he would use the experience he garnered over the years to develop the state.
