There are five political blocks in Tiv part of Benue State. These are Kwande (Kwande, Ushongo), Jechira (Vandeikya, Konshisha), Sankera (Katsina Ala, Ukum, Logo), Jemgba (Gboko, Buruku, Tarka) and MINDA (Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East and Gwer West). The governorship position goes to any of the five political blocks mentioned above based on the Tiv leadership principle of “Ya na angbian.”
Kwande (Kwande, Ushongo) produced the first Executive Governor of Benue State and that was Mr. Aper Aku from Ushongo (October 01, 1979 to December 31, 1983). Jemgba (Gboko, Buruku, Tarka) produced Brig. Gen. Atom Kpera from Gboko (January 04, 1984 to August 28, 1985) and Mr. George Akume from Tarka (May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007). Jechira (Vandeikya, Konshisha) have had Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu from Konshisha (January 02, 1992 to November 17, 1993). Sankera (Katsina Ala, Ukum, Logo) have at the moment Gabriel Suswam from Logo (May 29, 2007 to present). Only MINDA (Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East and Gwer West) is yet to have one of their own as governor.
In 1978, when the then Tor Tiv, His Royal Highness, Orchivirigh Gondo Aluor, Tor Tiv II died, the most qualified to succeed him was Asema Yuwa from Kwande, but he was denied the opportunity simply because another Kwande son, Aper Aku became the flag bearer of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the governorship election billed for the following year. This was the handiwork of the late Chief Senator Joseph Tarka who opined that “A tor nga duen ahar hi ijiir imiom ga”. That was the genesis of this statement and by it, Tarka, through the kingmakers, tactfully collected the Tor Tiv position from Kwande and gave Akperan Orshi from Jemgba, the political block where he also belonged.
The truth is that Kwande people were unfairly treated. MINDA people have been unfairly treated. That is to say, it is either of the two political blocs that should produce the next governor. Any block that emerges victorious should hand over to the other in 2023 after completing its two terms of four years each.
Donald Gaadi,
Abuja, FCT
