Group exonerates Ortom, sets records straight over Guma PDP zoning tussle 

A group of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP stakeholders from Guma local government area of Benue State has absolved the immediate past Governor of the state, Chief Samuel Ortom of any blame in the choice of the party’s candidate for the council chairmanship election which has generated a controversy between Ihyarev and Nongov political divides in the local government area.

Following the recently concluded PDP local government primary election, a group of Ihyarev elites among whom were elder Cletus Upaa, Dr Tivlumun Nyitse and Dr Cletus Tyokyaa had issued a press statement accusing Chief Ortom of influencing the outcome of the PDP primary election to favour Nongov for the Guma council chairmanship in the local government election slated for October this year.

However, rising from a meeting, the group made up of Hon. Charles Torbunde who is the PDP Leader of Nongov, member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Guma State constituency, Rt. Hon. William Ortyom, former Guma Council Chairman, Frank Usa-Adi, among others, stated that the PDP primary election to decide the party’s chairmanship candidate in Guma was conducted according to the existing tradition of rotation between the Ihyarev and Nongov devoid of bias and in the presence of the BSIEC representative, the DSS, the Nigerian Police Force and all other the stakeholders.

The statement reads:

“Sequel to the press statement issued by some Isherev and Utyondu (Ihyarev) Elders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Guma Local Government alleging the adoption of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmanship candidate in Guma Local Government Area, we the Nongov PDP Elders/Stakeholders have this to respond;

1. The Chairmanship primaries of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Guma Local Government Area was democratically conducted in line with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) constitution and guidelines.

The party primaries in Guma Local Government Area was conducted by the Electoral Panel appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party. This was conducted and monitored by BSIEC in the presence of the DSS and the Nigerian Police Force in Gbajimba, the Headquarters of Guma Local Government Area. Three aspirants contested for the Chairmanship position namely; Jimin Geoffrey, Adams Atule and Barr. Ikyaagba Kwaghbee James. Delegates for the primaries were duly accredited by the Electoral Panel and accordingly voted and result declared by the Electoral Panel wherein Barr. Ikyaagba Kwaghbee James declared the winner by majority votes cast in the presence of the BSIEC representative, the DSS, the Nigerian Police Force and all the stakeholders of PDP in Guma Local Government, including Hon. Dr. Cletus Tyokyaa, Hon. Abraham Tamenor, Hon. Godwin Nyigba, Hon. Alex Tindiir, Hon. Justine Jande, among others.

1. Also, we the Nongov PDP Elders/Stakeholders categorically state that never a time in the history of Guma was the sharing formula for Chairmanship position being ABC as claimed by the Ihyarev PDP Elders, rather it has been between Nongov and Ihyarev.

2. Below is the political history of elected chairman of Guma Local Government since creation of Guma Local Government.

i. After the creation of Guma Local Government Area, the first elected Council Chairman of Guma Local Government Area was His Excellency, Samuel Ortom, who was elected chairman in 1991 to 1993. Chief Ortom hails from Nongov bloc.

ii. After the tenure of H.E. Samuel Ortom, the stakeholders of the local government zoned the position to the Ihyarev bloc and was given to Matthew Apav. Apav’s tenure was just one year and in the spirit of fairness,equity and brotherliness, the Nongov stakeholders agreed that the chairmanship be zoned back to Ihyarev to complete their 3 years’ tenure as done by the Chief Samuel Ortom. Then, Hon. Cletus Tyokyaa was elected in 1997 to complete the three years tenure of the Ihyarev bloc.

iii. Upon the return of democracy in 1999, the chairmanship position was zoned back to Nongov bloc and Hon. Charles Torbunde was elected as chairman Guma Local Government Area.

iv. After the tenure of Hon. Charles Torbunde, the Guma stakeholders again sat and zoned the chairmanship to the Ihyarev bloc in accordance with the rotational zoning arrangement between Nongov and Ihyarev and Hon. Pharmacist John Enger was elected as chairman of Guma Local Government Area in 2003.

v. In 2007,the then Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam yielded to the pressure from the Ihyarev bloc which led to the election of Hon. Sabastine Mom from Ihyarav bloc against the established sharing/zoning formula in Guma Local Government between Nongov and Ihyarev.

vi. The 2012 chairmanship elections reverted back to normal order of zoning from Nongov to Ihyarev and Hon. Frank Usa Adi was elected as the Council’s chairman from the Nongov bloc.

vii. With the intervention of His Excellency, the former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, the council chairman of the local government was zoned back to the Ihyarev after the tenure of Usa Adi, with Hon. Anthony Shawon as the chairman in 2016. This was possible because many stakeholders from the NONGOV Bloc had advanced that since the elections of John Enger and Sabastine Mom distorted the zoning system, the NONGOV people should also have their own turn to as to equate earlier distorted formula. However, it took the intervention of the then governor and stakeholders from Ihyarev with the promise that the tradition was not going to be altered.

viii. Also in 2020, Hon. Caleb Aba from the Nongov bloc was elected Council Chairman in accordance to the normal zoning system.

ix. The normal zoning continued with the election of Hon. Ubah Mike from the Ihyarev bloc as chairman of the Council in 2022.

1. Similarly, Guma local government is also divided into two state constituencies (Guma 1 and Agasha State Constituencies) based on the Nongov-Ihyarev zoning arrangements, the zoning is always rotating among the constituencies. This too is explicit, as the outgoing local government chairman is from Ihyarev (Guma I State Constituency) and the in-coming should come from the NONGOV axis also known as Agasha State Constituency.

2. To buttress this further, these same sharing and zoning arrangements are also acknowledged by the Traditional Council Law (as amended 2016), where the position of Ter Guma is shared between Nongov and Ihyarev and is assisted by Mue Ter Nongov and Mue Ter Ihyarev respectively. Never in time have we had Mue Ter Utyondu and Mue Ter Isherev as those willing to advocate for the ABC zoning system are proposing. This position has been captured by the Benue State Council of Chiefs and Traditional Councils Law 2016. Schedule 6, S. 19 (1).

3. More so, traditionally, the sharing formula of Tiv is between two lineages and based on the spirit of YA NA ANGBIAN in Guma Local Government Area, it is between Nongov and Ihyarev bloc and not between Nongov, Isherev and Utyondu.

4. The case of Guma LGA is not different from other LGAs such as

a. Konshisha Local Government Area who has two major sons, Gaav with seven (7) council wards and Shangev Tiev with four (4) council wards but rotates this zoning system equally amongst the major divide.

b. Buruku LGA, we have Tombo and Mbanyam where Mbanyam is comprises of Mbagen, Shorov and Kusuv,yet the zoning is rotated equally amongst Tombo and Mbanyam.

c. Katsina Ala,we have Shitile and Loko, where Loko is comprised of many lineages,Kyurav and Tongov, yet the zoning is rotated amongst the two major sons.

d. Logo/Kwande, this is also applicable to Logo and Kwande Local Government Areas.

Why then should the case of Guma LGA be different with ABC when there are two constituencies in the Local Government?

1. This means that both the Ihyarev and Nongov people of Guma LGA have equal rights to sharing and zoning, and as such, they should not be undermined for whatever reason, as this may cause political instability in the local government area.

2. In response to the unfortunate statement on our son, H.E. Samuel Ortom that he manipulated the zoning arrangement to favour his kinsmen during his time as the governor of Benue State, the accusation is baseless, unfounded and has no bearing. H.E. Samuel Ortom of Guma Local Government Area as a pioneer executive chairman of the Local Government who also participated in the initial zoning arrangement as stated above only helped to straighten the zoning arrangement. H.E. Samuel Ortom needs to be given a pat on the back and not to be insulted by the Ihyarev PDP Elders Forum.

3. Finally, the Nongov and Ihyarev are sons of Ichongo and should learn to live together as brothers in line with the tradition of YA NA ANGBIAN. We therefore, appeal to our brothers the Ihyarev to stop bringing their offspring (Isherev and Utyondu) to share things with Nongov. We also appeal that they should not take undue advantage of the number of their council wards against the Nongov nation.

Signed:

1. Hon. Charles Torbunde (PDP) Leader u Nongov ………………………

2. Rt.Hon. William Mkange Ortyom ……………………….

3. Frank Usa-Adi ………………………

4. Hon. Mustapha Ibrahim ………………………

5. Hon. James Dav ………………………

6. Hon. Ayoosu Bem ………………………

7. Hon. Joseph Utse ………………………

8. Dr. Frank Kyungun ………………………

9. Hon. Innocent Abayilo ………………………

10. Hon. Kenna Iorzua ………………………

11. Hon. John Awange ………………………

12. Hon. Dauda Ubandoma ………………………