The Commissioner for Finance in Benue, Dr. David Olofu has said there’s no better time for the Idoma people to produce the governor than now.
Olofu said this when speaking with journalists in Makurdi on Saturday.
Benue has since its creation back in 1976 being ruled by the Tiv people who are also the majority. First it was Aper Aku, then Fr. Moses Adasu, George Akume, Gabriel Suswam and now Samuel Ortom, who is set to leave office next year.
But according to Olofu, the emergence of Deputy Governor, Eng. Benson Abounu as the Idoma consensus candidate, gives hope for the second largest people group in the state.
“The people are on the right track. We are getting it right.
There has never been a time the Idoma people were as united and sincere in their agitation like this.
“Since 1999, this is the only time Idoma people unanimously produced one candidate for PDP primaries.
There is hope for us as a people and I pray it eventually ends in praise,” Olofu said.
He quashed rumors in some corners saying he is craving the deputy governorship position, which is like the birth right of the Idoma people, instead of joining the struggle for an Idoma governorship.
“Those behind the report are hallucinating as there is nothing to suggest such move. Those who are conversant with political party activities and electioneering process in Nigeria will agree with me that no one talks about deputy governorship of a state, except the governorship candidate emerges in the party after primaries.
“How can one be talking about deputy governorship when we are yet to know who will fly the flag of the party? Deputy governorship
“Deputy governorship position is not like other positions that are contestable. It is usually zoned to a particular area and the stakeholders from that area meet to agree on an acceptable candidate that could also help the party win general elections.”
