By James Ibechi
Sen. Patrick Abba Moro targets a Bill on rotation of governorship seat among the three senatorial zones in every state and how this is going to be carried out to fruition is a function of the process of constitutional amendment.
The Senator representing Benue South is not unaware of the process.
For a new Senator the intent is plausible even as there is no one in Benue South who will not respect him for envisaging such a bill.
In Benue State where the Idoma and Igede people who constitute the Benue South Senatorial Zone have particularly locked themselves in throe of seemingly unrealizable agitation for powershift or the quest for creation of Apa State out of Benue over time, many will definitely be happy with Moro for thinking of revisiting this hot button issue.
But those who were bored by the 20 years of Moro’s predecessor and mentor, Sen. David Mark, for moro to set off at the senate with an agenda that is akin to his godfather’s pursuit of Apa State that ironically provided ground for David Mark’s overstay at the Senate, there is a proclivity that the Okpokwu-born senator will inherit his godfather’s albatross from within the district. Particularly if the plan is not successful.
Then again, Moro should also expect this: In the Tiv axis of the state where the Tiv political hegemonists are averse to rotation of the state power from Zone A and B to Zone C, broaching the issue of rotation of governorship seat at the senate in a way as to constitutionally force Tiv to relinquish state power to Idoma or Igede when it comes to their turn to produce the governor, it would be deemed by the Tiv as stirring the Hornets Nest. For no Tiv hegemonist would let power shift .
And the fragile political relationship that was just forged between the Tiv and Idoma hegemonists on the quicksand of 2019 partisan politics will soon be in shreds than expected.
But I think if Moro repudiates his intension to push for Idoma to be governor the relationship will boom between them. And peace will be still.
Another thing of note is: we are practising a constitutional democracy. The import of this is that Tiv politician will remind Moro of the slogan that “In democracy majority, they say, carries the vote”. What this means is that even if Moro’s push at the senate culminates in a law for rotation of governorship seat, will the law force majority voters to vote for a minority Idoma or Igede candidate in a guber constest that has a pool of many majority candidates in the ring. Will the constitution follow a voter to a ballot booth?
I think instead of pushing for rotation of governorship seat this early in the senate that will meet the brickwall of hegemonists, one’s heart would rather opt for quest for the constitutional ways of realizing Apa. Let the quest be sustained. But this should not be the priority of a fresher senator as Abba Moro. Poverty is ravaging Idoma and Igede people. Infrastructure decay and non-development due to 20 years of neglect, unemployment and other similar areas are begging for attention. It will make more meaning to the people to tackle them now than embarking on wild goose chase.
However, Sen. Moro won’t be breaking any law for daring the impossible. Two, he surely has a mind of his’ different from Sen. Mark’s. And he deserves support and respect of everyone. I think David Mark too has done his bits and deserves respect and rest at home.
Hardball 69
