By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja
Youths of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC from Benue South Senatorial District have asked President Bola Tinubu to ignore some elders from the zone who are vehemently opposed to the ministerial nomination of Prof. Joseph Utsev, a Tiv man.
The APC youths, however, appealed to President Tinubu to rather consider younger Idoma/Igede persons, who have worked for the party for federal appointments, including the ministerial nominee for the North Central zone.
The development came as the Tiv Youth Council Worldwide condemned a statement credited to the Coalition of Idoma Professionals led by Hon. Inalegwu Adaje in which the coalition kicked against Prof. Utsev’s nomination.
The president of the umbrella body of the Tiv Youths, Hon. Mike Msuaan while reacting to the statement, described it as “most regrettable, pitiable and a display of ignorance of the workings of democracy”.
He insisted that the Idoma Coalition lacks the moral right to cry injustice as they have not just represented same but also marshaled, promoted and benefited from injustice against the Tiv people.
Speaking further, Hon. Msuaan reminded the Coalition of Idoma Professionals that in 2007, David Mark was made Senate President while in 2011, Abba Moro was appointed Minister of Interior from the same idoma extraction like Mark.
“The Tiv people witnessed the highest level of injustice with Tiv names removed from Tiv Local Government Areas and replaced with Idoma names in employments and recruitment into military and paramilitary outfits”, he stated.
While he boasted that the Tivs are the fourth largest ethnic group in the country, Msuaan added that in 2027, the tribe could decided to feature a Tiv-Tiv governorship ticket without considering the Idomas.
On its part, the APC youths from Benue South, led by a chieftain of the party, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi said without consultations with critical stakeholders and party leadership in the zone, Chief Audu Ogeh and others signed a letter endorsing Godday Samuel Adagboyi as the ministerial choice of the Idoma/Igede people of Benue South long before the appointment of Senator George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“However, the zone has produced two Senate Presidents, Federal Ministers and heads of agencies of government including one of the older persons, Chief Audu Ogbeh who sat for the Press conference against the choice of President Bola Tinubu’s Ministerial nominee. In fact, the first Federal Minister from the Benue axis in Nigeria is of the Idoma extraction, in person of Late Chief J. C Obande.
“We read with great dismay, the press conference by some Idoma/Igede older persons most of whom are not of the APC stock, people who never campaigned for the Party. Some were even seen campaigning for other political parties and made statements on national television against the APC and voted against its Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“When it was time to unite the Idoma/Igede nation, one Johnson Inalegwu Agada who was part of the 29th July, press conference, led a group of Idoma/Igede people in the guise of G-9 and went round candidates of opposition parties, a sabotage that heavily reduced the collective votes of our party in Zone C.
“Some of the persons including a former House of Representatives Member Godday Samuel Adagboyi lost his re-election bid on the heels of his indecisive nature of campaigning for his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“It was alleged that it was Godday Samuel Adagboyi who introduced Mr Peter Obi to famous pastor from Idoma land , the reason why he refused to join the State Campaign team safe for his personal electioneering campaign which he printed all his campaign materials without the picture of the President, Vice President, Governor or Senatorial Candidates of the APC. To the glory of God, he was the only House of Representatives candidate of APC who lost his election in Benue State.”
While asking Tinubu to consider a younger person from Idoma/Igede axis, Comrade Okpokwu said: “The elders abandoned the campaign completely, most of them voted against the APC during the elections and they are now the ones complaining about appointments. This is the reason why we preached synergy during the elections and the need to work wholeheartedly for the APC.
“While we sincerely wish the Idoma/Igede nation is given the opportunity to produce a Federal Minister, which is still possible with the second batch of ministerial nominees, we expect the elders to congratulate the Benue State nominee just as the leader of the party, Sen George Akume did when Comrade Abba Moro was appointed Minister during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration with Sen. David Mark as Senate President. Both Mark and Abba are from Zone C extraction.
“We are saying that the old people have finished their terms. They should not come and cause confusion”, the youths added.
Source: Vanguard