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Who says Benue South [Idoma] cannot produce a Governor?

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For decades, one argument has repeatedly surfaced in discussions about the governorship of Benue State: that Benue South, largely populated by the Idoma people, lacks the numerical strength to produce a governor.
It is an argument that has been repeated so often that many have come to accept it as political gospel. But does the evidence support that claim?
 
A careful look at the 2023 presidential election results in Benue State suggests otherwise.
According to the official results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu polled 310,468 votes in Benue State, while Labour Party candidate Peter Obi secured 308,372 votes.
The difference between both candidates was a mere 2,096 votes.
 
Yet, the political geography behind those figures tells a much more interesting story.
Tinubu won 14 local government areas, all located predominantly in Tiv-speaking Zones A and B. Peter Obi, on the other hand, won only nine local government areas, all of them in Benue South Senatorial District (Zone C).
Despite winning only nine local government areas compared to Tinubu’s fourteen, Obi came within touching distance of victory, losing by just over two thousand votes statewide.
 
The implication is profound.
It demonstrates that the strength of an electoral bloc is not determined merely by the number of local government areas it controls but by voter turnout, political unity and strategic mobilization.
In Benue South, voters rallied overwhelmingly behind Obi and the Labour Party.
 
Across the nine local government areas of Benue South, Obi amassed a commanding lead, demonstrating what can happen when the zone votes with a common purpose.
The lesson from the 2023 election is not that Benue South lacks numbers. Rather, it is that political unity can significantly alter electoral outcomes.
 
If a presidential candidate could come within 2,096 votes of victory in Benue State largely on the strength of overwhelming support from Benue South and pockets of support elsewhere, then the long-held assumption that an Idoma candidate cannot win a governorship election deserves reconsideration.
 
Governorship elections are even more localized than presidential contests.
Candidates are judged not only on party affiliation but also on personal credibility, competence, campaign structure, alliances and regional appeal.
 
An Idoma governorship candidate who secures near-total support in Benue South, builds strategic alliances across Zones A and B, and attracts votes beyond ethnic lines could become a formidable contender.
 
The 2023 presidential election has already shown that electoral mathematics in Benue is not as straightforward as many assume.
The fact that a candidate who won only nine local government areas came within just over two thousand votes of defeating an opponent who won fourteen local government areas underscores the importance of voter concentration, turnout and unity of purpose.
Ultimately, elections are not won by assumptions; they are won by votes.
 
And if the 2023 results have taught any lesson, it is that Benue South possesses far greater electoral potential than many are willing to admit.
The challenge before the Idoma political class is not whether victory is mathematically possible. The real question is whether the zone can unite behind a common vision and a credible candidate when the opportunity presents itself.
 
Indeed, the prospect of an Idoma governor is no longer a mere theoretical discussion. Already, some sons of Benue South have stepped forward to test the proposition ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
 
Among them are Hon. Mathew Ochigbo Sunday, the governorship candidate of the National Democratic Party (NDP), and Chief Peter Adejoh, a leading aspirant for the governorship ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
 
If the unity displayed in Benue South during the 2023 presidential election can be replicated in a governorship race, then the proposition that an Idoma son or daughter cannot emerge governor of Benue State may prove to be one of the biggest myths in the state’s political history.
Who Says Benue South [Idoma] Cannot Produce a Governor?
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