A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of the Godwin Obla Foundation, Godwin Obla, has attributed the failure of the Idoma people to produce a governor in Benue State since its creation in 1976 to a combination of demographic disadvantage and persistent political divisions among the Idoma elite.
Obla stated this on Saturday while delivering a centenary lecture titled, “The Political Choices of the Idoma People Since 1950: Context, Consequences, and the Path Forward,” during the Idoma Centenary Plus Celebration held in Otukpo, Benue State.
According to him, despite being the second-largest ethnic group in Benue State, the Idoma have remained excluded from occupying the state’s highest political office for nearly five decades.
“Since the creation of Benue State in 1976, no Idoma person has ever been elected Governor. Fifty years of statehood, and the second-largest ethnic group in the state has never occupied Government House in Makurdi,” he said.
Obla explained that the political structure of Benue State places the Idoma and Igede people at a numerical disadvantage, noting that Zones A and B, which are predominantly Tiv, control 14 local government areas, while Zone C, made up largely of Idoma and Igede communities, has only nine.
“The arithmetic is straightforward and merciless,” he stated, adding that under a majoritarian voting system, the Tiv majority has consistently retained control of the governorship.
He, however, argued that demographic realities alone do not explain the situation.
According to him, internal fragmentation among Idoma political leaders has repeatedly weakened the chances of the ethnic group producing a governor.
“Time and again, when the opportunity for an Idoma governorship has appeared on the horizon, the elite have fractured, splitting along personal rivalries, generational fault lines and competing ambitions,” he said.
He lamented that instead of rallying around a consensus candidate, multiple aspirants often emerged, dividing the Idoma voting strength and weakening their bargaining power.
Obla further noted that the inability of the Idoma political class to maintain unity has been a recurring pattern dating back to the early years of political organisation in Idomaland.
The senior lawyer also criticised what he described as the failure of successive Idoma political elites to convert national political influence into sustainable local development.
While acknowledging that several Idoma sons had occupied top national positions, including Senate President, federal ministers, military governors and diplomats, he argued that many communities in Idomaland still suffer from poor infrastructure, insecurity and underdevelopment.
“The truth that we must confront is this: national political prominence, however impressive, is not a substitute for local development,” he said.
Obla called for the establishment of a permanent, non-partisan Idoma Political Consultative Forum to help build consensus before elections and prevent the divisions that have undermined the community’s political aspirations.
He also urged the Idoma people to invest more in voter education, grassroots mobilisation and cross-ethnic political alliances capable of attracting support beyond Zone C.
According to him, an Idoma governor can only emerge through strategic coalition-building and a development agenda that appeals to all parts of Benue State.
The legal practitioner described the Idoma Centenary Plus Celebration as an opportunity for self-reflection and political renewal, urging the younger generation to take a more active role in shaping the future of the ethnic nationality.
He maintained that the next phase of Idoma political history should be defined by unity, strategic planning and collective action rather than internal rivalry and missed opportunities.
