As the race for the 2019 general election gathers momentum, one of the states where the contest among political gladiators appears to be fierce is Benue. The stage is already set for the epic battle with the defection of the governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, from the All Progressives Congress (APC), to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Already, in his new party, he has collected nomination form to re-contest the governorship position but his former party, APC, has vowed to trounce him in the election.
The divide is very clear. On one hand is the Ortom camp, well supported by his new party, PDP, while on the other side is the Senator George Akume who spearhead the battle by the APC.
Baring his mind on the battle, Akume, representing Benue North-West senatorial district, and also the leader of the party, in the state at the caucus meeting of APC in Makurdi, Benue State recently described Governor Ortom as a failure who is running the social investment programme as a family entity.
He urged the people to vote him out in the next governorship election.
For Ortom, PDP must take over the leadership of the state. He hinged his defection to PDP on the security challenges facing the state, over which he said he had not got enough support from the APC-led federal government.
He also blamed the present political crisis in the state on Senator Akume who, according to him, is bent on destabilising the state to serve his personal agenda. He accused him of giving N88 million to 22 members of state assembly to impeach him as the governor.
“They were under instruction to move a motion of impeachment against me in order to destabilise the state for not paying salaries and enacting the grazing law, but the lawmakers rejected the offer and the report filtered back to me.
“Having failed to achieve their anti-Benue objectives so far, the next phase is the unleashing of massive Fulani militia to embark on more devastating attacks and killings in the state. The most unfortunate aspect is that some sons of the state, including a serving senator (Akume) have been recruited and mobilized to lead this phase,” he said.
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With both political leaders of the state in different camps, it has become obvious that the battle for the governorship seat in the state promises to be a tough one. The question is: Who holds the ace between Akume and Ortom.
Akume, a very prominent politician with so much clout is reputed to have played a leading role in the emergence of Ortom and Gabriel Suswam as governors.
The feat followed the amount of influence he wields in the state. He is at best a crowd puller in the political terrain.
Many believe that to dismiss the influence that can come from the popularity of Akume in the state is to be unappreciative of his political value and relevance. This however, was what Ortom did when he fell out with the senator.
A political observer who did not want his name mentioned in the press because of the political tension in the state told The Next Edition that Ortom’s decision to fall out with Akume who was instrumental to his victory in 2015 may cost him a re-election next year.
“Akume is a grassroots politician whose influence cut across the three senatorial districts,” he said.
It was gathered that part of what increased the political influence of Akume in the state is the manner in which he identified with the people. He stands by the people in good and bad times.
However, Ortom who before his recent defection had reconciled with his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, and some leaders like Senator David Mark and Barnabas Gemade may count on their support to win the next election though . But the support of Idoma and Igede people in Benue South may not count much in the on-going political battle because the two ethnic nationalities believe that both politicians from Benue North-West and Benue North-East had disappointed them on several occasions on agreement to shift power to Benue South.
Therefore, they may not be ready to support a particular group in this case. Both Idoma and Igede have not produced a governor in the history of the state created 32 years ago.
Also the governor who attributes the current face-off with the ruling APC to the anti-grazing law he made to protect Benue people against invasion of Fulani herdsmen, believe the people would reciprocate his effort by voting for him in the election.
On whether the governor would be able to survive what observers believe the impending political hurricane against him in 2019, a lawyer, Tom Uja, who is the leader of Tiv community in Lagos stated that the next governorship election in Benue State would be issue-based and not sentiment. He explained that those who intend to be the next governor of Benue State whether Ortom or other aspirants must present their score-cards and blue-print on how they intend to tackle developmental challenges in the state.
“It is unfortunate that other states created alongside Benue are far ahead in terms of development and we are not going to take it easy with those who want to govern the state without a mission,” he said.
He promised that a debate which he would be part of the facilitators would be organised for aspirants to tell Benue people what they intend to do for the people if given the mandate.
“What Benue people are interested in is delivery of democracy dividends that would result in construction of roads, provision of fertilizers at affordable rates for farmers among other things and not the political drama between Akume and Ortom,” the lawyer argued.
As it is, with Ortom and Akume ready to deploy all they have for the battle ahead, and with different factors obviously going to influence the decision of the people of Benue State on who takes charge of the affairs of the state, no one would possibly be able to say who is actually going to win. It will certainly not be over, until it is over, so to say.
