The governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, in Benue State, Comrade Simon Ogbe, has called on the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, candidate for Benue South Senatorial District, Engr. Austin Oleho, to shelve his senatorial ambition and throw his weight behind the re-election of Senator Abba Moro in 2027.
Ogbe, who made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday in Makurdi, said it would amount to political injustice for the Benue South senate seat to return to Otukpo after only eight years away, considering that Otukpo Local Government occupied the seat for 20 uninterrupted years through former Senate President, Senator David Mark.
According to the ZLP governorship candidate, while every Nigerian has the constitutional right to contest any election, political ambition must be guided by fairness, equity, selflessness and the collective interest of the entire Idoma nation. He argued that other federal constituencies in Benue South, particularly Apa/Agatu and Oju/Obi, are yet to produce a senator since the return of democracy in 1999, and therefore deserve consideration in the spirit of rotation and brotherhood.
Ogbe explained that his intervention is not about discrediting the capacity of Engr. Oleho, whom he described as a qualified Idoma son, but about asking critical questions on justice and the future of Benue South politics. He noted that after David Mark’s 20 years in the Senate from 1999 to 2019, the seat moved to Apa/Agatu axis where Senator Abba Moro, who is from Okpokwu Local Government, took over in 2019 and has held it till date. To return it to Otukpo now, barely eight years after it left the area, would be a disservice to other components of the district.
The ZLP candidate insisted that Senator Moro’s continued stay in the National Assembly at this time is in the best interest of Benue South, citing his experience, legislative depth and growing political influence. He pointed out that Moro’s emergence as the Senate Minority Leader is not a small feat, but a clear testament to the respect and recognition he has earned among his colleagues across party lines. Such position, Ogbe stressed, comes with enormous leverage to attract federal presence, facilitate opportunities for constituents and give Benue South a strong and audible voice in national discourse.
He maintained that the current political realities in Benue State make it even more imperative for the Idoma people to retain an experienced hand at the federal level. According to him, at a time when Idomas feel underrepresented in key decisions at the state government level, they cannot afford to gamble with their representation in the Senate by replacing a ranking senator with a first-timer who would need years to learn the ropes.
Ogbe also used the opportunity to address the narrative that David Mark’s long stay in the Senate was a sign that Idoma people lacked political awareness. He dismissed such insinuation as false and disrespectful to the Idoma nation, arguing that Mark was not imposed on the people but was massively voted for in successive elections because the people believed he was needed at that critical time to defend and project the interest of the Idoma nation at the highest level. That deliberate electoral choice, he said, was a demonstration of political wisdom and not ignorance, and the same wisdom should guide the decision in 2027 to retain Moro.
He further argued that Otukpo as a local government is already well represented in the present political equation. He noted that the current deputy governor of Benue State is from Otukpo and if the party that wins the next governorship election also picks its deputy from the same area, it means Otukpo could hold the deputy governorship for up to 16 years cumulatively. In addition, the House of Representatives seat for Otukpo/Akpa is presently occupied by an Otukpo indigene. Against this background, Ogbe wondered why anyone would want to concentrate the senatorial seat again in Otukpo while other local governments have not had a taste of it.
He warned Engr. Oleho not to allow his ambition to be misinterpreted as being sponsored by forces working against the interest of Benue South, urging him to retrace his steps, reconsider his ambition and support Moro’s re-election for the sake of unity and fairness.
Clarifying his position, Comrade Ogbe said he is not advocating that Senator Moro should remain in the Senate for 20 years like David Mark. His proposal, according to him, is for Moro to be supported to complete his second term in 2027 and serve till 2031, after which stakeholders of Benue South can sit together and decide on a fair rotation to other federal constituencies that have not produced a senator. Supporting Moro now and discussing rotation later, he said, are not contradictory but reflect political maturity and sensitivity to prevailing circumstances.
The ZLP governorship candidate also touched on the issue of accountability and good governance, praising Senator Moro for consistently demanding accountability from Governor Hyacinth Alia on issues of public allocations and management of state resources. He noted that such courage to ask questions is the hallmark of true representation and that whenever Moro raises accountability issues, the state suddenly witnesses a flurry of activities like distribution of motorcycles by local government chairmen and announcements of rural electrification projects in places like Okpokwu, which he said shows that constructive criticism works.
In conclusion, Ogbe called on all political stakeholders in Benue South, especially Engr. Austin Oleho, to look beyond personal ambition and consider the larger picture of justice, equity and effective representation. He stressed that the 2027 election should not be about individual interest alone but about what best serves the Idoma people as a whole, insisting that at this moment, experience, ranking and political sagacity embodied by Senator Abba Moro remain invaluable for Benue South.
