By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Jechira intermediate area of Benue State have called on the party to zone the 2027 governorship ticket to their bloc, insisting that fairness and established political tradition support their demand.
The stakeholders, drawn from Vandeikya and Konshisha local government areas, made the call at the during a meeting held at the Makurdi residence of Dr. Saawuan Tarnongu, where they issued a communiqué outlining their position.
Tarnongu who presented the communique during a press conference argued that the zoning arrangement within the Tiv political axis of the state has historically rotated among the five intermediate blocs of Kwande, Jemgbagh, Sankera, MINDA, and Jechira, each serving an eight-year term.
He contended that Jechira’s turn began in 2023 with Governor Hyacinth Alia from Vandeikya, and as such, the bloc should be allowed to complete its full eight-year cycle through another candidate from the area in 2027, in line with the zoning tradition.
The group maintained that while they recognise every governor’s constitutional right to seek re-election, the zoning principle allows the benefitting bloc to retain the slot even if the sitting governor is not re-elected, by presenting another competent candidate from the same area.
The communiqué stated that Jechira remains the only intermediate bloc yet to serve two full terms since the return to democracy in 1999 as it recalled that Governor Moses Adasu’s brief tenure (1992–1993) was truncated by military intervention, making Jechira’s case unique.
“We appeal to our brothers from the Kwande bloc and all well-meaning Benue citizens to recognise the principle of fairness. Kwande has had its two-term opportunity through Governor Aper Aku, while Jechira has not. Justice demands that Jechira completes its rightful turn,” the communiqué read in part.
The stakeholders reaffirmed their loyalty to the PDP and passed a vote of confidence on the party leader in the state, former Governor Samuel Ortom, as well as the State Chairman, Ezekiel Adaji, and the State Working Committee for their leadership.
They further encouraged PDP governorship aspirants of Jechira extraction to sustain consultations and preparations ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing that their demand was rooted not in entitlement but in justice, equity, and political balance.
