2027: Hope for Idoma governor dashed as PDP shuns Benue South, picks Tiv’s Aondoakaa as candidate

Hopes of producing the next governor from Benue South, also known as Zone C, have suffered a setback following the emergence of Michael Kaase Aondoakaa as the 2027 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State.

Aondoakaa, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was adopted as the party’s consensus candidate after a consultative process involving 11 aspirants.

The decision has sparked fresh debate over zoning in the state, particularly calls from various stakeholders advocating that Benue South should produce the next governor, having not held the position since the state’s creation in 1976.

According to a statement issued on April 3, 2026, by the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bright Yima Antyo, the consensus emerged after over three weeks of consultations and deliberations by party leaders and stakeholders.

Key figures involved in the process included former governor Samuel Ortom, Senate Minority Leader Patrick Abba Moro, and the state party chairman, alongside members of the State Executive Committee, caucuses, and elders’ groups.

Despite initial concerns over zoning, all aspirants accepted the outcome and pledged support for Aondoakaa. Among them were Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, Rt. Hon. Dominic Ucha, Revd. Tor Uja, Dr. Tersoo Loko, Prof. Sebastine Hon (SAN), Dr. Oyije Ogbenjua, Rtd. Naval Commander Ode Ojowu, Engr. Tor Tiv Ato, Simon Ater, and Chief Bemgba Iortyom.

Reacting to the development, Ortom commended the aspirants for their unity and urged them to prioritise the party’s interest ahead of the 2027 elections. He tasked the candidate with building an inclusive campaign structure capable of unseating the current administration led by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Similarly, Moro described the consensus process as difficult but necessary, calling on party members to unite in a bid to reclaim power in the state.

In his acceptance speech, Aondoakaa pledged to reconcile all party factions and mobilise a strong campaign structure aimed at winning the 2027 governorship election. He also promised to uphold the trust placed in him and deliver good governance if elected.

Before the consensus arrangement, two prominent Idoma sons—Madaki Ameh and Dr. Oyije Ogbenjuwa Ocheakiti—were among aspirants from the zone seeking the party’s ticket.

With the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) settling for Michael Kaase Aondoakaa as its 2027 governorship candidate in Benue State, asnd Governor Hyacinth Alia widely expected to emerge as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), attention is now turning to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where fresh expectations are building among stakeholders in Benue South (Zone C). 

Within the ADC, two Idoma sons—Peter Adejoh and Andrew Aba—are currently jostling for the party’s ticket ahead of the 2027 elections, raising hopes among supporters of power shift to the region.