Iduh Onah
BY THE TIME the 2027 National Assembly elections arrive, the people of Benue South may need more than campaign posters, jingles and rice-branded souvenirs to decide who should represent them in the Senate. They may require aspirin, a microscope and perhaps a spiritual retreat.
The emerging contest involving Abba Moro, Francis Ottah Agbo and David Olofu is not merely another political race. It is a complicated cocktail of incumbency, zoning sentiment, political fatigue, elite calculation and the usual campaign promise that “this time will be different.”
Of course, Nigerians have heard that line enough times to know it often translates to: “Please permit us another opportunity to disappoint you in fresh and innovative ways.”
Still, the Benue South Senatorial contest deserves serious attention. Zone C, as Benue South is also called, remains one of the most politically conscious constituencies in the North-Central. It has, historically, produced heavyweight politicians right from the First Republic: the late Chief J. C. Obande, who was the Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and later served as the Federal Minister of Establishment till 1966.
The late Chief Audu Ogbe, served as Minister of Communication in the Second Republic, Chairman of PDP and later Minister of Agriculture in the current dispensation.
Senator Ameh Ebute, whose senate presidency in the Third Republic the late General Abacha cut short, and most notably, former Senate President, and current National Chairman of embattled Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, whose two-decade dominance created a long shadow under which every successor now struggles to stand independently.
Beyond this rich history now comes the big question: should Benue South retain Senator Abba Moro, gamble on Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo, or embrace Dr David Olofu’s technocratic gospel? That is where the trouble begins.
The Incumbent: Moro and the Burden of Familiarity
Senator Moro enters the race with the most obvious advantage, he occupies the seat. In Nigerian politics, incumbency is not merely an advantage; it is almost assumed as his to be taken.
The incumbent senator possesses visibility, a solid structure, patronage networks and the ever-useful ability to commission constituency projects with exaggerated optics.
Moro’s political résumé is extensive. He has served as local government chairman, ALGON chairman, Minister of Interior and now Senate Minority Leader.
Supporters argue that his experience gives Benue South relevance at the national level. In a Senate increasingly dominated by political veterans and power brokers, they insist that replacing him with a rookie would amount to voluntarily surrendering influence.
And to be fair, his camp has aggressively highlighted projects and interventions across the district. Moro himself recently insisted that he does not “do propaganda” about his achievements, preferring instead to let the projects speak.
Nigerian politicians saying they do not do propaganda is usually the political equivalent of a goat claiming vegetarianism. Yet, even critics concede that the senator has maintained a visible grassroots presence.
However, the greatest challenge facing Moro may not be competence or visibility. It is fatigue. After years in public office, many voters simply want change.
Not necessarily because the incumbent has failed spectacularly, but because Nigerian politics suffers from chronic recycling. The same names endlessly jangle our ears like generators in neighbourhoods responding to the permanence of power outages.
For some constituents, Moro’s quest for another term increasingly represents continuity in a district yearning for a fresh political narrative.
Then there is the issue of zoning and equity. Certain political blocs within Benue South argue that the senatorial seat should shift away from Moro’s axis. His camp has dismissed such agitations as unconstitutional and politically self-serving.
Yet the sentiment persists because zoning, while unofficial, remains one of Nigeria’s most potent political religions. It may not be written in the Constitution, but many politicians fear violating it more than they fear violating campaign promises.
Moro’s biggest strength is therefore also his biggest vulnerability: he is well-known; and in politics, familiarity can breed either confidence or exhaustion.
Hon. Ottah Agbo: The Media-Savvy Fighter
If Nigerian politics awarded points for confidence and rhetorical combativeness, Francis Ottah Agbo would already be halfway to the Senate.
The former House of Representatives member is one of the most visible opposition figures in Benue South politics. A former journalist with strong communication skills, Ottah Agbo understands modern political theatre better than many traditional politicians.
He knows how to frame issues, shape narratives and command media attention. In today’s politics, where perception often outruns performance, that matters enormously.
Agbo represented Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency between 2019 and 2023, earning recognition for legislative interventions, particularly in security and narcotics control.
More importantly, he has cultivated the image of a politician willing to confront entrenched interests rather than negotiate comfortable co-existence with them.
His emergence as APC senatorial candidate confirms that he remains a serious force within the district. But Agbo’s greatest obstacle may not be his popularity. It may be his party.
The APC brand in parts of Benue South remains complicated. National economic affliction, insecurity and voter frustration have damaged the ruling party’s image in many communities. Fairly or unfairly, candidates often carry the burden of their party’s federal reputation.
In Nigerian elections, voters sometimes punish local candidates for inflation they did not create, exchange rates they did not control, and fuel prices they merely suffered alongside everyone else.
That said, APC’s incumbency strength in Benue State means Agbo cannot be dismissed. Nigerian politics has increasingly become a game of strategic alignments, and being connected to the ruling establishment can attract both resources and influential endorsements.
Agbo’s challenge will therefore be convincing voters that he is not merely “another ambitious politician with excellent English.” Nigerian electorates have become suspicious of eloquence unsupported by measurable outcomes.
Constituents now ask uncomfortable questions such as: after the television interviews and social media activism, what exactly changed? Unfortunately for politicians, voters are slowly discovering accountability. Very slowly, but still.
David Olofu: The Technocrat with the Equity Card
Then there is David Olofu, perhaps the most intriguing figure in the race. Unlike Moro and Otta Agbo, Olofu presents himself primarily as a technocrat and development-oriented candidate rather than a traditional career politician.
A former Benue State Commissioner for Finance and ex-chairman of the Forum of Commissioners of Finance in Nigeria, he has framed his message around competence, economic management and fairness.
His campaign appears heavily anchored on the argument of equity, specifically that power should rotate towards areas that have not recently occupied the senatorial seat. Traditional rulers and stakeholders from parts of Zone C have publicly endorsed this sentiment. Politically, that is smart.
In a zone where identity and inclusion matter deeply, Olofu has positioned himself as the candidate of balance and correction. His supporters portray him as calm, experienced and intellectually-equipped to attract development projects and coordinate regional growth.
However, technocratic appeal does not always translate into electoral victory in Nigeria. This tendency is more entrenched in Idoma’s Benue South, where the average voter admires competence but often votes based on structure, loyalty networks and emotional connection.
Beyond this inherently complex political culture, Olofu also faces the challenge of platform viability. As a candidate of the ADC, a party bobbing and dipping in the political pool muddied by a ruthless APC, Olofu may be lucky if he ultimately makes it to the ballot. Yet, dismissing Olofu would be dangerous.
He represents the protest sentiment within the district — the quiet but growing feeling that Benue South should perhaps try something different.
So, Who Has the Edge?
At this stage, Senator Moro appears strongest on structure, experience and incumbency. Agbo possesses the sharpest oppositional energy and media sophistication capable of altering prevailing narratives. Olofu carries the moral language of equity and technocratic renewal.
In idealistic terms: Moro is saying: “I know the system”, while Agbo is singing: “The system needs disruption”, and Olofu is bellowing: “The system needs fairness and planning.”
The voters, amongst many other questions, are asking: “Can any of you repair the roads, and rise to the challenge of our polluted and poisoned rivers that have made our communities open death rows?”
Ultimately, the election may depend less on speeches and more on coalition-building across local governments and constituencies. Benue South politics has never been merely about individual brilliance.
It is about balancing identities, managing alliances and surviving the dangerous Nigerian political tradition where yesterday’s ally becomes tomorrow’s bitter enemy.
One undeniable reality, however, is that the 2027 contest promises genuine competition. Unlike many senatorial races where outcomes are practically settled before campaigns begin, Benue South appears headed for a serious political confrontation. That may actually be healthy for democracy.
After all, voters deserve options beyond automatic coronations. Democracy works best when politicians must sweat for votes instead of merely printing posters featuring oversized photographs and inspirational slogans copied from motivational calendars.
For now, the people of Benue South watch and wait. And somewhere in the district, political strategists are already calculating clan arithmetic, church influence, youth anger, elite endorsements and which candidate can produce the most appealing campaign jingle, and sachets of pre-election ‘stomach infrastructure’.
Onah is the Editor-in-Chief of NATIONAL RECORD and writes this column every Wednesday. Send reactions via email to: nationalrecordng@gmail.com, onahiduh@yahoo.co.uk.
