The APC 2023 Senatorial Candidate for Benue South, Com. Daniel Onjeh, has received the full endorsement of the “Igede In 2023 Movement”. That was the highpoint of an interface between Com. Onjeh and the Movement yesterday, in Makurdi, Benue State. The “Igede In 2023 Movement” is a sociopolitical organization comprised of Igede elites in the academia, business, politics and public service worldwide, under the Leadership of Dr. Jonah Ogbaji.
According to a Press Release issued by Prince Maxwell Ogiri, the Director of Media of the Onjeh Campaign Organization, while responding to the question of his disposition to an Igede Senator after his successful service to the Benue South people, the APC Senatorial Candidate, Com. Onjeh, affirmed that beyond rhetoric and lip service, there was the need for a legal framework for the rotation of power to accommodate the interests of minority ethnic groups and communities in Nigeria.
Com. Onjeh added that power rotation and full-fledged local government autonomy will be topmost on the Agenda of the 10th National Assembly, and he assured his Igede kins that if he gets elected into the Senate, he’ll be an integral part of the critical mass of federal legislators that would pursue this worthy cause. Onjeh informed his hosts that since the creation of Apa State had become a mirage, it was only through power rotation amongst the three Senatorial Districts of Benue State, that a Benue South citizen may become Governor of the State in the future.
Speaking further at the occasion, Onjeh noted that given the deplorable state of the roads leading in and out of Igede land, which has literally disconnected the people from the rest of the world, if he were a Senatorial Candidate of the PDP that has held power in Benue South since 1999, he would have buried his face in shame before any Igede person, talk more of having the effrontery to campaign for re-election anywhere in Igede land. He opined that that would amount to a brazen affront on the collective sensibilities and intelligence of the Igede people.
While soliciting their support for his senatorial ambition, Com. Onjeh equally pleaded with the group to canvass votes for, and to vote for all APC candidates across the board.
Commenting further, Onjeh stated that it was obvious that religion and ethnicity were the least of the problems of the Benue south people, adding that the major problem of the Senatorial District was underdevelopment. “The Benue South people, though predominantly Christians, are known to be very tolerant of other religions and ethnic groups. We have no history of religious crisis in our place; yet, we have the members of other faiths living amongst us,” noted Onjeh.
Com. Onjeh added that indeed, what we suffer in Benue South affects us all, regardless of religion or ethnicity; noting that all the religions, ethnic groups and tribes in Benue South were exposed to the same level of underdevelopment prevalent in the community.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Movement, Dr. Jonah Ogbaji, extolled the leadership qualities of Com. Onjeh, and assured him of the support of the Forum and by implication, the Igede people.
Prominent amongst those present at the meeting were Chief Prof. John Enyi; Prof. Moses Ogbaji; Dr. Sam Ominyi; Rt. Hon. Egbiri Idaah; Engr. Okpe Onah; Hon. Patrick Aruta; Hon. Edor Egboja and a host of others.