Benue South 2027: Benson Abounu under fire for opposing Abba Moro’s re-election bid

The Media Adviser to the Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Abba Moro, has faulted former Benue State Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu, over his opposition to Moro’s 2027 re-election bid.

Abounu had reportedly described Moro’s bid as “evil” and called for the strict enforcement of zoning in the contest for the Benue South senatorial seat.

But Moro’s media adviser, Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John, in a statement on Wednesday, described Abounu’s position as an attempt to portray “malice” as agitation for zoning.

John said Moro’s decision to seek another term was constitutional and that there was no constitutional limit on the number of terms a legislator could serve, provided the electorate continued to support the lawmaker.

He cited serving senators including Ahmed Lawan, Ali Ndume, Abdullahi Yahaya, Makardawa Wammako, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Jibrin Barau and Mohammed Aliero as lawmakers who had spent several years in the National Assembly.

He also referenced former Senate President David Mark, who, according to him, spent 20 years in the Senate before voluntarily retiring in 2019.

The adviser further challenged Abounu to provide evidence of any collective agreement by the people of Benue South adopting a binding zoning arrangement for the senatorial seat.

“If such a meeting ever took place, His Excellency should provide the date, venue, resolutions and names of those who participated,” he said.

John alleged that Abounu had opposed Moro politically since 2018, claiming that the former deputy governor worked against Moro’s senatorial ambition during the 2018 election cycle.

He also alleged that Abounu, who was then a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue South, opposed the “Right of First Refusal” arrangement reportedly advanced in favour of Moro ahead of the 2023 senatorial primary.

According to him, Moro eventually won the primary and the subsequent general election despite the opposition.

On the issue of zoning, the media adviser said Moro had gone beyond making verbal commitments by sponsoring a bill seeking to establish a legal and constitutional framework for zoning.

He said the bill was currently before the National Assembly’s Constitution Review process.

“That’s a man who’s sincere about zoning and the need for fairness and political inclusion not only in Zone C but Benue State and the country at large,” John said.

The adviser maintained that Moro was seeking re-election not to remain in the Senate indefinitely but to consolidate on what he described as his achievements and use his experience, contacts and influence to attract more development to Benue South.

He also dismissed the suggestion that Moro was preventing other aspirants from contesting the senatorial seat.

“The senator is not stopping anyone from contesting to be senator neither is he stopping the noonday apostles of zoning from supporting the candidate of their choice,” he said.

John urged Abounu and other stakeholders in Benue South to support Moro’s return to the Senate, arguing that the interests of the senatorial district should supersede personal interests and political differences.

He said Moro had represented Benue South prominently at the national level and should be allowed to exercise his constitutional right to seek re-election.

“For now, he should be allowed to exercise his constitutional right to seek re-election, just as every other eligible Nigerian is entitled to do. That’s neither evil nor unfair, but democracy at work,” he said.

The statement was signed by Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John, Media Adviser to the Senate Minority Leader, and dated October 7, 2026.