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2023: Allow Idoma govern Benue State – Forum cry out
A group under the aegis of Benue Rebirth Movement (BRM) has called on the Tiv political leaders to ceed the 2023 Governorship position to the Idoma people to enable them feel a sense of belonging in their state.
According to BRM, the Idoma people have been schemed out from governing the state and relegated to the background over the years, adding that the abnormality if corrected will definitely improve the development fortunes of the State.
Speaking while addressing a press conference in Jos, the Plateau state capital, the leader of the group Gen. Georfrey Ejiga (retd) said Benue state was created in 1976 where the Idoma people make up one Senatorial zone of Benue South, which political leaders of the state decided to call zone C’ while the Tiv Senatorial zones are called A and B.
Ejiga regretted that Benue is a state where the Idoma people can not be Governor, Speaker, head of judiciary, VC of Benue State University or VC Federal University of Agriculture, adding that the only position perpeltually reserved for the Idoma people is the position of a deputy governor.
He explained that BRM is arguing based on the agitation on agreement on zoning in 1999 agreed by the current political leaders at a meeting in Gemade’s house in Makurdi at the beginning of politics in 1999, noting that it was agreed that the governorship position will rotate among the zones.
Ejiga further argued that the position before 1999 was reviewed and it was realized that the two previous elected governors, Aper Aku and Rev . Father Moses Adasu were all from zone A stressing that it was to restart from zone B and rotate to zone C, A and B.
“Akume from zone B was therefore selected. At the end of Akume’s tenure in 2007, the Tiv people rejected the rotation to zone C’ and gave it to Suswan of zone A’, from Suswan, it was rotated to Ortom of zone B for the second time. Now that Ortom is about to complete his tenure in 2023, they have again zoned it to zone A. Thus zone A will have produced four elected governors, Aper Aku, Adasu, Suswan and the incoming one in 2023. Zone B will have produced two governors; Akume and Ortom.”
He lamented that zone C’ as it is right now have not produced any governor adding that with what they are saying and their disposition zone C’ will not produce any in the years to come.
“The action of the Tiv political leaders is creating tension, unhappiness, inferiority complex and despair in Idoma land.”
BRM also noted that the unjust deprivation of Idoma people from leadership is bound to create insecurity in the state. He pointed out that very soon the Idoma youths will revolt if nothing is done to remedy the situation .
Ejiga further advised Tiv leaders to learn from what is happening in Plateau state where governorship position have been rotated religiously among the three Senatorial zones that made up the state.
He commended the first breed of Tiv political leaders like JS Tarka, Isaac Shahu and Dr. Paul Unongo adding that the current breed of politicians are spreading hatred to justify their hold and importance in Tiv land and the state.
The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has been summoned to the Nigerian Po,ice Force headquarters to face criminal investigation.
In a letter dated 4th April and signed by Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations, Olajide Rufus Ibitoye, said he was directed by the Inspector General of Police to invite the Emir for questioning for violating Durbar ban.
A copy of the letter sighted by CAPITAL POST indicated that Sanusi led a Durbar processing to the Government House to pay homage despite the ban which the Police expressed security concerns.
The urged Emir Sanusi Lamido to appear on Tuesday,b8th April, 2025.
Sanusi reportedly led a procession in car as against the usual horses in which a 20-year old in the entourage was arrested and detained.
Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio has accused Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Elisha Abbo of being united I coordinated attacks against him lately.
He stated this following Natasha’s claims during a rally in her Kogi Central Senatorial District that he recruited the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello to assassinate her outside Abuja.
At the rally on Tuesday 1st April, 2025 which was monitored by CAPITAL POST in Lokoja, Natasha accused the former Governor Yahaya Bello, having been contacted late in the night of March 12, 2025 to orchestrated ‘recall and assassination’ of her outside Abuja.
Natasha said she has intelligence reports that when she is killed in her Constituency, “it will look as if it’s her people that killed her.”
Though Bello was yet to issue a statement debunking the allgations or otherwise, Senate President on his part denied the allegation and described it as falsehood and inflammatory.
Reacting in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publici, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh on Friday, Akpabio accused former Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial, Elisha Abbo of toeing the similar part of blackmail, saying barely 24 hours later, on April 2, 2025, Elisha Abbo appeared on Arise Television to revive a previously withdrawn claim that Senator Akpabio “manipulated the judiciary” to secure his removal from the Senate.
The statement said: “Nigerians will recall that Mr. Abbo, in 2023, publicly retracted this same accusation and tendered an apology after acknowledging that his claims were founded on incorrect assumptions.
“His removal from office was the outcome of a constitutionally grounded judicial decision by the Court of Appeal, which independently determined that he was not duly elected to represent Adamawa North.
“In a further twist, Mr. Abbo also alleged that he was denied his entitlements by the Senate President. This, too, is categorically false. Entitlements such as salaries and allowances are processed strictly through administrative and legal procedures.
“The Senate President does not and cannot unilaterally approve or deny such requests. Any delays or rejections would have been based solely on due diligence and compliance with established protocols.
“The timing, tone, and striking similarity of these coordinated attacks point clearly to a politically motivated smear campaign. These individuals—backed by undisclosed interests—appear united in a desperate effort to undermine the credibility of the Senate and its leadership and intended to distract from their own personal and political shortcomings and failings.
“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains undeterred. As a statesman devoted to national unity, institutional integrity, and the rule of law, he will not be distracted by malicious falsehoods or inflammatory rhetoric.
“Regardless of the necessity for legal redress, formal letters of demand, seeking immediate public retractions, apologies, and compensation for reputational harm, are underway to be served on both Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Mr Elisha Abbo.
“We call on the Nigerian public in particular and the International Community to reject these baseless and provocative narratives. The Senate, under Senator Akpabio’s leadership, remains focused on its constitutional mandate: to promote legislative excellence, safeguard democratic values, and deliver meaningful progress for the Nigerian people”, the statement concluded.
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has expressed heartfelt sympathy over the demise of Hon. Suleiman Muhammed, the Kogi East Zonal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a condolence message to the family of the deceased and members of the APC in Kogi state, described the sudden passing of the APC Zonal chairman as a loss not only for the party in Kogi East but the entire APC family in the state.
According to the Governor “The late Hon. Suleiman Muhammed was a man of peace, humility, and one who demonstrated commitment to the service of the state and the APC as a party. He carried the aspirations of his people with dignity; his leadership was widely respected and his contributions deeply valued within and beyond the APC in Kogi East”.
“He was instrumental in strengthening party cohesion and promoting inclusive dialogue. His presence in every party engagement brought stability and thoughtful leadership to our consultations in the zone.”
Governor Ododo further noted that Hon. Suleiman’s calm temperament, sense of fairness, and ability to listen distinguished him as a unifying figure in the party.
The Governor also extends condolences to the family of the deceased, the leadership and members of the APC in the state, the people of Dekina local government area and the entire Kogi East Senatorial District.
He prayed that Almighty Allah (SWT) forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljanatul Firdaus.
The late APC zonal chairman who served as the APC coordinator in Odu Ward 2 before becoming the zonal chairman of the party in Kogi East died at the age of 45 and has been laid to rest according to Islamic rites.
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