April 21, (THEWILL) – The speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Titus Uba, has emerged the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship consensus aspirant from the 14 Tiv speaking local government areas representing Benue North West.
This decision was reached at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, on Sunday, during the PDP stakeholders meeting which most of the governorship aspirants were in attendance.
Mr Uba, representing Ikyan State Constituency from Vandeikya local government area, where the PDP micro zoning favours, will be contesting against his only opponent, the current Deputy Governor of Benue state, representing Benue South senatorial district, Engr Benson Abounu, at the PDP governorship primaries coming up in May, 2022.
The Benue North West senatorial district, which is currently occupying the governorship seat by Samuel Ortom, will not be presenting an aspirant during the delegates conference.
To arrive at this point, aspirants from Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency, were all knocked off from the contest on ground that the first civilian governor of the state, late Aper Aku, from Kwande local government area occupied the seat from 1979 to 1983 during which the military intervened in the polity.
In the micro zoning, the immediate past Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, two terms members of House of assembly for Tiev constituency, Dominic Terkaa Ucha and former Acting Director General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Paul Angya were shortlisted.
However, in a twist, governor’s interest and that of national chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, were alleged to have tilted towards Titus Uba, representing Kyan state constituency for the job.
It was gathered that the last batch of consensus may still be reached between the two aspirants, Engr Benson Abounu and Titus Uba, before the governorship primaries.
Sources said, in an event that consensus could not be reached, the two will be allowed to jostle for delegates next month at Aper Aku township stadium, Makurdi.
