BEVERLY HILLS, April 11, (THEWILL) – As the battle to choose the candidate to succeed Governor Samuel Ortom gathers momentum in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, AUSTINE JOR, in this report, examines the chances of the various aspirants ahead of the 2023 governorship election.
Governor Samuel Ortom will graciously bow out of the Benue State Government House by 2023 as demanded by the Nigerian constitution having succeeded in getting himself re-elected for a second term in 2019.
As it is normal with politics, those interested in the Benue’s plum job have kick-started consultations in earnest with a view to driving to the coast of reality their ambitions.
Findings by THEWILL indicate that aspirants on the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) are comprised mostly of Ortom’s aides while few are members of the party who are not directly involved in his administration.
The governorship position in Benue State which has been monopolized by the Tiv majority ethnic nationality usually rotates among the five geo- political blocs of Kwande, Minda, Jechira, Sankera and Jemgbagh respectively.
As Ortom leaves office in 2023 which also marks a completion of the vicious circle as all the blocs would have produced a governor, there seems to be heated arguments as to which of the blocs will produce Ortom”s successor.
Though the Kwande bloc which produced the first civilian governor of the state in the person of late Apollos Aper Aku would have been without any form of debate the zone to be handed the governorship on the ground that the seat had gone round, the Jechira axis are equally advancing arguments in the reasoning that their turn was truncated during the General Ibrahim Babangida’s transition programme when its son in the person of late Rev.Father Moses Adasu was sacked after 18 months in office as governor and are saying they be allowed to complete their tenure come 2023.
Giving this development, findings by THEWILL has revealed that most of those aspiring for the position are from the Kwande and Jechira political blocs.
Notable among those that have intensified consultations are Honourable Terwase Orbunde(Kwande) who is governor Ortom’s Chief of Staff. Also in the race is Professor Dennis Ityavyar(Jechira) who currently serves as Commissioner for Education.
Mr. Terver Akase ( Jechira), is governor Samuel Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary and is also said to be a man to watch.
Even as he is said not to have yielded to pressure to vie for the governorship position at the moment, findings indicate that the Benue – born media icon has continued to receive wide publicity as regards the governorship race.
Akase who represents the younger generation is seen as a perfect transitory agent between the older and the younger generation of political leadership in the state, a development which is believed has continued to give his rumoured governorship ambition a very wide acceptance.
Others in the race include, Right Honourable Titus Uba who is the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and who is also of the Jechira bloc.
Those outside of the incumbent governor’s aides are Dr Paul Angya, a former Director General at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, a business mogul and Chairman, Benue State Chambers of Commerce , Industries, Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Paul Ubwa.
According to investigations, while some of the aspirants in the governor’s cabinet will largely be depending on Ortom’s influence to sail through, feelers however point to the fact that even if they receive the governor’s endorsement, their personal pedigree especially as it regards their dealings with the people will greatly play a role in marketing them to the Benue populace.
Findings indicate that while some of the aspirants are banking on government’s support, others are craving to cash on the goodwill they had got through their engagements with the people over time.
Terwase Orbunde is a former Federal legislator with a very vast experience in the art of politics and governance. Believed to be very close to the governor, his ambition is widely said to be tied around the governor as he is generally seen as one of the governor’s favoured aspirants for the governorship position by 2023.
As Chief of Staff to the governor, Orbunde according to findings enjoys good support on his aspirations to succeed his boss from a vast segment of the governor’s inner circle.
It was further gathered that he equally enjoys some level of support from traditional Institutions, a development believed to be an added advantage to his aspiration.
However, pundits are of the opinion that his personal relationship with the people especially as it regards alms giving might be his major baggage.
Dennis Ityavyar is a Professor of Sociology. Though not much is known about him within political circles, his inclusion in the Ortom’s administration as Commissioner places him in a vantage position as one of the key drivers of the Ortom administration’s policies.
His entrance into the governorship race is also believed to be hinged on his closeness to Governor Samuel Ortom.
Though relatively unpopular among the Benue political class, Ityavyar’s strength remains in his perceived closeness to the governor. Investigations indicate that he may be willing to ditch his ambition should it become glaring that he will not get Ortom’s tacit endorsement for the Benue governorship seat.
Speaker Titus Uba has made his governorship ambition public and is also consulting very widely according to investigations by THEWILL.
He is from the Jechira geo- political bloc. His ambition did not come to many as a surprise, been the highest political office holder from the bloc as Speaker of the State Assembly. One of his major strength according to findings is his perceived loyalty to the governor who, it is viewed, will not have issues having him as a successor.
For Dr. Paul Ubwa, his strength largely lies in his impact on the Benue economy through his transport outfit (Pleasure Travels) which is believed to have given jobs to several youths in the state and even beyond.
He is also believed to be consulting very widely with the aim to driving home his message regarding his ambition. Though not a very popular name in the political circle in the state, THEWILL gathered his humane disposition and track record of achievements in the private sector, according to political observers, are some of his selling points.
With less than two years to the governorship primaries of the PDP in Benue State, the stakes are said to be no less high. The choice of a governorship candidate by the party will either brighten or lower its chances at the general elections in 2023.
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