The lawmaker representing Benue North-West Senatorial District, Senator Titus Zam, has stated how the Idoma extraction of the state can produce a governor.
Fielding questions in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’, Sen Zam said this can only happen if the dominant elite (the Tivs) agree to concede power.
He was speaking in reaction to the 50 years of anniversary of the existence of Benue State since February 3, 1976.
According to him: It is true that the Idoma segment of the state has not had opportunity of leading the state at the level of government, but it has to do with the nature and character of the democratic system of government that Nigeria is practicing.
“This liberal representative model of democracy confers a lot of advantage on the majority, and so it becomes a problem when a particular majority ethnic group is deploying its numerical strength.
“So, it is true that the Tiv people that constitute 75% of the population of Benue State have donated the political space. Unless there is a conscious elite consensus to concede power to the Idomas, it is impossible within the nature and character of the democracy we are practicing for the other ethnic groups to participate in the leadership of the state.
“But it’s not only as governor that you can also rule or participate in the governance of a particular state. The Idomas have held very important positions; Deputy governor and that’s number two position, Secretary the State Government at some times,” he said.
