We read the statements credited to two of the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship aspirants in Benue State, Dr Paul Angya and Hon. Terkaa Ucha and we find it pertinent to advise the duo to toe the path of honour and not seek to disgrace themselves any further.

As young bona fide members of PDP, we are well aware of the long and tedious process that eventually culminated in the emergence of Rt. Hon. Titus Uba as the consensus candidate of PDP in the Tiv speaking area of the state.

We recall that in December 2021, Governor Samuel Ortom invited all the 34 governorship aspirants on the platform of PDP in Benue State to a meeting in Government House and informed them that he would declare the whole of February 2022 for fasting and prayers so as to seek God’s guidance in the choice of a consensus candidate. He also told the aspirants that at the end of the fasting and prayer period, he would allow them to meet and choose one of them as the consensus candidate. The Governor added however that if at the end of that period, the aspirants failed to produce one person, he would ask G-14 (for Zone A and B) and G-9 (for Zone C) to commence the trimming process to arrive at a consensus candidate. The aspirants pledged their submission to the process.

The month of February came and ended but the aspirants could not produce one person. G-14 and G-9 carried out the assignment and received mock election results from the various local government areas which were in the race. The results of the mock elections had several complaints so the leadership of the party decided to again involve the guber aspirants who demanded for zoning.

Zoning was eventually done and the guber choice was zoned to Jechira. Paul Angya, Ucha and all the others from Jechira applauded the process. They had no problems with the decision of the stakeholders to ask Kwande to withdraw from the race. Konshisha was later asked to withdraw leaving only Vandeikya in the race. Angya and Ucha jubilated and hailed the decision. Again, the aspirants pledged their submission to the process.

On the 17th of April, 2022, the leadership of the party under Governor Samuel Ortom, invited stakeholders for a meeting to decide who among the aspirants from Vandeikya would emerge as consensus candidate from Zone A. First, the Governor held a closed door meeting with all the aspirants from Zone A to decide who among them will fly the flag. Our sources inside the meeting later revealed that all the aspirants unanimously chose Titus Uba whom they presented to the Governor as their consensus candidate. Shortly after the meeting, they took a memorable photograph with the Governor before they proceeded to the main meeting at the new banquet hall of Government House. Angya and Ucha were in that closed door meeting but none of them raised an objection. In fact, they eagerly posed for the group photograph.

During the main meeting at the new banquet hall, stakeholders unanimously endorsed Titus Uba.
The decision to settle for Uba was not made by Governor Ortom. All the stakeholders who were present spoke in one accord. It started with the people of Vandeikya who said it’s Uba. The entire Jechira (Konshisha and Vandeikya) said it’s Uba. Local government chairmen of the 14 local government areas in Tiv land also said it’s Uba. The G-14 political class itself said it’s Uba. Benue State House of Assembly members said it’s Uba. The House of Representatives caucus in the Tiv speaking area said it’s Uba. Senators of Zones A and B said it’s Uba. And above all, the governorship aspirants from Kwande and Jechira also unanimously said it’s Titus Uba. This has never happened before in Benue State!

Three days later, as an afterthought, Angya and Ucha decided to issue press statements rejecting the consensus arrangement. We wonder if that’s the kind of govenor they aspire to be. After accepting a process and endorsing it, they go back home and perhaps being prompted by their spouses, jump up and begin to agitate. A man who aspires to lead a big entity like a state should be firm in his decisions and not display a flippant attitude. Leadership is a true test of integrity. It is not a game of thrones in a drama series. Those who aspire to lead should be seen to be men of honour who say what they mean and do what they say.

The seat of Governor of Benue State is such a serious position that we can’t afford to have a man who will only be reactionary and will take almost a week to make up his mind on what he wants to do for his people. Angya and Ucha accepted and endorsed the consensus process from the beginning to the end and now only feel aggrieved because they were not chosen.

We advise the two former aspirants to give peace a chance and support their brother Titus Uba to win in next year’s election. After all, Jechira is one. If Angya or Ucha were chosen, would they not have expected Uba to support them? They should think about this.

Comrade Ternenge Bendega
President, Benue Coalition for Democracy, (BCD).