A group, the Otukpo/Ohimini Equity Movement (OOEM), has objected to the plan by Honourable Blessing Onuh, the daughter of former Senate President David Mark, to contest the same Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency seat in Benue State in the next election.
The group claimed that Honourable Onuh, who currently occupies the seat, is seeking to retain the federal constituency seat beyond the period allocated to Otukpo under the existing zoning arrangement.
While congratulating Ambassador Lilian Ofie-Adoyi on her emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the same constituency, OOEM said Ofie-Adoyi’s nomination would address the longstanding rotation agreement between Otukpo and Ohimini.In a statement, the group said it welcomed Ofie-Adoyi’s nomination and acknowledged her supporters and well-wishers, but insisted that political arrangements designed to promote equity and inclusion must be respected.
According to the group, the rotation began in 1999 with Hon. Adah Ejiga of Otukpo, who represented the constituency from 1999 to 2003, followed by Hon. Agbo Oga of Ohimini from 2003 to 2007. It said Hon. Nelson Alapa of Otukpo represented the constituency from 2007 to 2011, while Hon. Ezekiel Adaji of Ohimini held the seat from 2011 to 2019. The group added that Honourable Onuh of Otukpo has represented the constituency since 2019 and, in its understanding, would complete an eight-year tenure at the end of the current electoral cycle in 2027.
It therefore questioned attempts to retain the seat beyond what it described as Otukpo’s allotted period under the rotation arrangement.
OOEM said, “Our position is not a rejection of any individual; rather, it is a demand that the principle of equitable rotation be respected.”It recalled the many years Honourable Onuh’s father spent representing the area in the Senate, arguing that prolonged occupation of political positions could limit opportunities for other qualified sons and daughters of Otukpo and Ohimini.
It warned against what it described as a mentality that political leadership should become a family inheritance or a permanent father-to-child succession.
“Democracy must remain open to all qualified citizens, and political opportunity must be based on fairness, competence and the will of the people,” it said.The group urged the parties and other stakeholders to engage the people of Otukpo and Ohimini and to address the zoning issue transparently.
It said that if the party’s internal arrangements failed to reflect the legitimate expectations of the people, voters retained the democratic right to make their choice in 2027.
The movement also called on the people of the two local government areas to remain peaceful, vigilant and committed to defending their democratic rights. “Let our participation in politics not be reduced to what can be bought or exchanged for a token. Our democracy must be one where every qualified citizen has a fair opportunity to serve,” OOEM said.
