Last week, Chief Mike A. Onoja, a senatorial aspirant for Benue South Zone C, spoke with some journalists of Benue extraction based in Abuja declaring his intention to challenge Senate President David Mark for the senatorial seat at the National Assembly in 2015. The retired general vows that he would not be cowed by Mark, assuring that campaign will be issue-based. ADOYI M. ABA reports
Why Mike Onoja?
I am presenting myself as a candidate for the Senate in Benue south senatorial Zone C. I know the first question that will be on the lips of some people will be why is he coming out? Can he stand the incumbent? But I will tell you why?
The people in Zone C are saying that it is wrong for one person to be in an elective post for 16 years; not just for 16 years, to be there forever. The people of Zone C are tired and are now saying that the idea will no longer be acceptable since an elective post is neither a birthright nor a traditional title which you can hold unto for life. It is also wrong to have a position where you will almost think you are forming a political dynasty.
Embarrassment for the Idoma
It is becoming a very big embarrassment for the people of Zone C. Let me give you this typical example; in Benue state Zone A where you have Kwande, Vandeikya and Katsina-Ala, Professor Daniel Saaror was in 1999 elected as a senator, Akaagerger took over from him, and now Chief Banabas Gemade, who is currently serving as a senator. In Zone B, four people served differently; Waku was the first person to be elected, Adagba was replaced by Ortii after his death and now Senator George Akume, who is presently the minority leader in the Senate.
Now to Zone C, it has been David Mark since 2007. Does it mean that the Idoma people have no other credible person to represent them? This is unfair, this is unacceptable. All the Idoma people are asking for is that the seat of the Senate in Zone C should be rotational just the way it is being done in Zones A and B of the state, very simple. Every right-thinking Idoma person is saying that it should and must be rotational. Zoning and rotation is also clearly outlined in the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is unprecedented in the history of democracy in Nigeria for somebody to be in the Senate for 20 years, which he wants to do.
It has never happened, even in the Senate now; he is the longest serving senator. Does it mean that we do not have competent people to represent Zone C? So, on the basis of that, I am running for the Zone C seat, come 2015.
Apa state as Apple Pie
I know that the priority of the people in Zone C is to have Apa state, but they should also bear in mind that the creation of Apa state is not the job of one person; it is the collective effort of everyone that requires the approval of the whole state, the House of Assembly, the local government areas of the Zone, two/thirds majority of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The creation of Apa state will also require the approval of 24 Houses of Assembly across the federation; that is the two/ thirds of them all; so you cannot say you are using the creation of Apa state to remain a senator for life. Enough is enough; we have to imbibe the spirit of democracy, rotation and to ensure that every aspect of Zone C is entitled and can aspire to be a senator; what he can do, any other person can also do.
For these reasons, I am offering my services to go to the Senate come 2015. It is true that he is my friend, but on principles, I have to say the truth; it is wrong person for one person to be there permanently as if it is his birthright.
Dislodging David Mark
We are very prepared because David Mark is not a demi-god; he is there because the Zone C people want him to be there and, like I said earlier, the seat is not his birthright. He is not going to force anybody to vote for him, we are prepared to challenge him in every aspect of the election. We are ready to face all the challenges; It is going to be an issue-based campaign; it’s not going to be personalised fight. We are going to talk on issues why I want to go to the Senate; he has overstayed.
I am going to make sure that I try to influence constituency projects that will bring about improvement in the zone. If you are going to Idoma land today, the road between Alaide and Otukpo is very bad and so are most of the roads in Zone C.
In Otukpo today, for instance, for the past nine months, there hasn’t been water for the people to drink. So, like I said, it is going to be an issue-based campaign that will leave the Idoma with choices. He is not a demi-god and will not force the people to vote for him.
Not challenging Suswam when shortchanged in 2007
That is history now, but if I will recall, there was to be a re-run between Governor Gabriel Suswam and I and there were a lot of discussions among elders. As a matter of fact, Suswam himself came and appealed to me and so many other people advised me, saying that if I wanted a re-run, it was not just going to be between me and me alone, but the entire people of Benue state.
They said it was going to be a war between the Idoma and the Tiv people and that since I would not want a tribal war in the state, I should let it be. Immediately after the stadium donation of votes, Akume and Tilley Gyado came to my house and appealed to me admitting that what they did to me was wrong but that if we had a re-run, it was going to be a tribal war.
The Tiv support
In that election, the Tiv people supported me immensely; they are my very great friends and if you recall, not long after the election, Mkar University, which is an exclusive university in Tiv area, awarded me an honorary doctorate degree.
Secondly, at the time we finished the primary, it became very late for anybody to think of a rerun, because immediately we finished, the PDP secretariat was saying that INEC was waiting for nominations from the parties to be submitted to them for the final election. We were to hold the primaries and it was postponed; so after the primaries, it became difficult for the PDP to go for a re-run and submit their list.
Thirdly, I could have challenged it in court even if they had submitted the nomination to INEC headquarters, but then peace prevailed and I think Benue is better up for it. Suswam is my friend, I am not bitter and I don’t regret going for the election; I am not regretting the fact that peace prevailed, life goes on.
Wherewithal to defeat Mark
I have the capacity to compete with him in every aspect of the race, but I will not tell you the strategy; that is our own election secret.
Mark as President of the Senate again
It is God that gives victory no matter how hard you try; there are so many instances where incumbents have been defeated in elections. It is not a question of whether or not he is going there again to become the president of the Senate. For the past 16 years, what has he done for the people of Idoma land. What has his being a senator translated into in terms of democratic dividends in the Idoma speaking area? As I am talking to you right now, there is no drinking water in Idoma land, you pay money for a tanker to bring water for you to drink; there are no good roads, there is nothing to show. Don’t you think the Idoma people deserve the best since they have him there as the number three man? You are in politics for a number of reasons and the number one, to me, is community service.
Before you talk of individual service, community service should be the primary focus and if the community service is not okay, then as far as I am concerned you have failed. It is not the money you make and into your pockets, we are saying that in terms of community service, we are not happy with him, he has not done enough. Yes, we are happy that he is an Idoma man, the number three man for that matter, but couldn’t he have done things better? How are you sure he will do better if he comes back again since he has wasted all the opportunities he had had.
