IBN News Editorial|By: Nev Terese
Benue State stands at a critical crossroads. Beyond the political calculations surrounding the 2027 governorship election lies a fundamental question about fairness, representation and the future of a state whose people continue to grapple with insecurity, displacement, economic hardship and the struggle to rebuild their lives.
If zoning is considered necessary to promote equity and political inclusion, why has Zone C, comprising the Idoma and Igede people of Benue South Senatorial District, never produced a democratically elected governor since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999?
This is a question that deserves an honest answer from political leaders, party stakeholders and supporters of zoning across Benue State.
The demand for Zone C to have an opportunity to govern is not simply about ethnic identity or the ambition of individual politicians. It is about whether every constituent part of Benue State has a meaningful opportunity to participate in the highest level of political leadership.
Since 1999, Benue has been governed by George Akume, Gabriel Suswam, Samuel Ortom and the incumbent, Hyacinth Alia. Akume served from 1999 to 2007, Suswam from 2007 to 2015, Ortom from 2015 to 2023, while Alia assumed office in May 2023.
None of these elected governors emerged from Zone C.
The historical record therefore raises a legitimate question: if political rotation is an acceptable means of promoting fairness, why has the governorship continued to elude the Idoma and Igede people?
Zoning cannot be a principle for one group and an inconvenience for another.
The argument becomes even more important when the state’s political history is examined through the distribution of power between Zones A and B and the longstanding demand for greater representation by Zone C. Those advocating zoning must be willing to discuss the entire history of governorship representation, not only the portions that support their preferred political arrangement.
Historical accuracy is essential. Akume’s eight years must be counted, just as Suswam’s and Ortom’s completed tenures must be recognised. Alia, who took office in May 2023, is serving his first term and should not be described as having completed eight years. The argument for Zone C does not require inaccurate arithmetic; the absence of a governor from the zone since 1999 is itself a substantial fact.
BENUE TODAY: INSECURITY, DISPLACEMENT AND THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
The zoning debate must also be situated within the realities ordinary people face today.
Benue is widely recognised for its agricultural potential, but persistent insecurity has placed enormous pressure on farming communities. Attacks, displacement and fear have disrupted livelihoods, separated families from their ancestral homes and made the return to normal economic activity difficult in affected areas.
In September 2026, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that Benue was home to nearly 500,000 forcibly displaced people, making it the second-largest displaced population in Nigeria. The agency reported more than 880 people killed in 2025 and 76 deaths recorded in 2026 up to August.
These figures reveal the scale of the humanitarian challenge confronting the state. They also show why political debates must go beyond the distribution of offices to address the protection of lives, the restoration of livelihoods and the safe return of displaced families.
For a farmer who cannot safely reach a field, political representation is not an abstract matter. It is connected to the ability to feed a family, pay school fees and rebuild a livelihood.
For a displaced family living away from home, the question of governance is inseparable from the hope of returning to a community where children can grow up safely and parents can work without constant fear.
Benue’s political leadership must therefore be judged not merely by the number of projects announced or the strength of political alliances, but by the ability to protect communities, prevent attacks, support displaced people and restore confidence in public institutions.
The state government has said security is improving and has expressed support for stronger community-based security arrangements. Such assurances should be assessed against independently documented trends in attacks, casualties, displacement and safe returns. The people of Benue deserve both effective action and transparent evidence of progress.
The state’s current challenges do not diminish the zoning debate. Rather, they reinforce the importance of inclusive leadership, accountable governance and a political system in which every community has a legitimate stake in the future.
THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY CANNOT THRIVE ON FEAR
Benue’s agricultural identity is central to its economy and reputation. Yet agricultural potential cannot be fully realised when insecurity prevents farmers from accessing their land or when displacement leaves households without the means to produce food.
The consequences extend beyond individual communities. Disrupted farming affects household income, food availability, trading activities and the wider economy.
Restoring agricultural productivity requires more than distributing farm inputs or announcing support programmes. Farmers need secure access to their land, reliable roads to markets, access to financing, storage facilities, processing industries and policies that help them earn sustainable incomes.
These challenges demand leadership that understands the realities of rural communities and is prepared to invest in practical solutions.
They also require a political culture that does not treat any section of the state as permanently entitled to govern while another remains perpetually on the waiting list.
If the objective is to build a stronger Benue, every zone must be able to contribute to leadership, policy development and the search for solutions to the state’s problems.
WHAT DOES FAIRNESS MEAN FOR THE IDOMA AND IGEDE PEOPLE?
The Idoma and Igede people are integral parts of Benue State. Their communities, businesses, farmers, professionals, civil servants and young people contribute to the state’s social and economic life.
Their demand for an opportunity to produce a governor should not automatically be interpreted as hostility towards other ethnic groups. Nor should it be dismissed as an attempt to divide the state.
A demand for inclusion can be an appeal to strengthen unity by ensuring that no community feels permanently excluded from the highest office.
When supporters of zoning argue that political rotation is necessary to guarantee fairness, they must also explain how that principle accommodates Zone C’s longstanding aspiration.
If the argument is that a particular zone should have its turn because it has not produced a governor for a specified period, then the same consideration must be extended to Zone C. If political rotation is considered important for maintaining balance, the history of representation across all three senatorial districts must be part of the conversation.
Fairness cannot be selective.
The Idoma and Igede people should not be expected to support a system of rotation without being given a meaningful opportunity to benefit from it.
This does not mean that a governor should emerge from a particular zone regardless of the electoral process. It means political parties and stakeholders should take the question of equitable representation seriously when making decisions about their candidates and the future of the state.
ZONING MUST NOT BECOME A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE
While the argument for Zone C deserves serious consideration, the debate must also recognise that zoning alone cannot solve Benue’s problems.
A candidate’s geographical origin is not a substitute for competence, integrity, transparency or a credible development programme.
Whoever seeks to govern Benue must demonstrate the capacity to confront insecurity, strengthen education and healthcare, improve infrastructure, create employment, support agriculture and manage public resources responsibly.
The state needs leaders who can unite its diverse communities rather than deepen divisions. It needs a government that listens to displaced families, supports farmers, creates opportunities for young people and ensures that public expenditure produces measurable benefits.
The question should therefore not be whether Zone C deserves an opportunity at the expense of good governance. The more constructive question is how the state can promote equitable representation while ensuring that every candidate is judged by the quality of their plans, character and capacity to lead.
Political inclusion and good governance are not opposing objectives. They should reinforce each other.
THE 2027 QUESTION: WILL POLITICAL PARTIES TAKE THE ISSUE SERIOUSLY?
As Benue approaches another electoral cycle, political parties and stakeholders have an opportunity to address the governorship question openly and responsibly.
Rather than treating zoning as a slogan deployed during negotiations, parties should explain their positions, acknowledge the historical record and engage communities across all three senatorial districts.
The debate should be based on transparent principles, respect for democratic choice and a recognition that the state’s future belongs to all its people.
Zone C’s aspiration should not be reduced to the ambitions of individual aspirants. It is a wider question about representation and whether the state’s political arrangements can accommodate communities that have never produced a governor since 1999.
At the same time, the electorate must retain its right to evaluate candidates on their records, policies, integrity and ability to address Benue’s pressing challenges.
No political arrangement should prevent citizens from demanding accountability, and no candidate should be considered automatically qualified merely because of the zone they represent.
The task before political leaders is to build a process that respects both equitable inclusion and the democratic rights of the people.
BENUE BELONGS TO EVERYONE
The future of Benue cannot be built on the assumption that the governorship naturally belongs to one group or that another group must wait indefinitely for its opportunity.
The state belongs to its people across all three senatorial districts. Its unity is strengthened when every community feels recognised, respected and able to participate meaningfully in governance.
The Idoma and Igede people have a legitimate basis to ask why Zone C has never produced a governor since 1999. That question should be answered through honest engagement rather than dismissed through partisan arguments.
At a time when insecurity continues to displace families, farmers face serious challenges and communities demand better public services, Benue needs a political culture that places the common good above narrow interests.
Equitable representation will not, by itself, end insecurity or transform the economy. But a credible commitment to inclusion can help strengthen public confidence and encourage a sense of shared ownership in the state’s future.
If zoning is about fairness, Zone C’s demand deserves serious consideration. If it is about equity, the principle must apply to the Idoma and Igede people. And if it is about unity, no community should be made to feel that its opportunity to lead Benue State can be postponed indefinitely.
The ultimate test of zoning is not how passionately politicians defend it when it benefits their own side. It is whether they are willing to apply the same principle when another community seeks an opportunity.
Benue must decide whether zoning is a genuine commitment to equitable representation or simply a political instrument used when convenient.
Fairness cannot be selective. Inclusion cannot be postponed forever. And the promise of zoning must be examined against the history of who has governed and who has continued to wait.
For the Idoma and Igede people, the question remains: if every part of Benue deserves a fair opportunity to lead, when will Zone C’s turn receive serious and meaningful consideration?
That is a question Benue’s political leaders must be prepared to answer.
