Hir Joseph
12 July 2008
Makurdi — The protracted case between Senator David Bonaventure Alechenu Mark of the PDP and ANPP's Alhaji Usman Dan Abubakar Maishanu alias Young Alhaji, is a case which every Idomaman has interest in.
The two figures represent one interest or the other for the Idomas. While Mark, the older politician has been in power since the 80s when the military held sway, Usman Abubakar, the younger politician, has never tasted political power. The only thing that endears him to the people is his years of philanthropic gestures to the Idoma nation and Benue State at large. When in 2003, he veered into politics under the platform of the United Nigerian Political Party (UNPP), his popularity was in no doubt, even though he could not wrestle the Senate seat from PDP's David Mark who was seeking a second term. He rushed to the tribunal, having been dissatisfied with the conduct of the Benue-South senatorial election by INEC, but had to abandon the case midway because of pressures on him to allow Mark to return to the senate.
When in 2007 the agitation for power-shift took the centre stage, the Idoma political leaders sought a change of baton from Mark to another figure. But this dream could not be realised because the then President Olusegun Obasanjo/Ahmadu Ali led PDP in Abuja, asked Mark's main opponent in the party's primary election and former Katsina and Plateau states military administrator, retired General Lawrence Onoja, to abandon his petition against Mark's controversial emergence as the Benue-South flag bearer. The agitation to change Mark was fierce. A few days to the ANPP primary election, Usman Abubakar who had refused to join the race at the initial time succumbed to pressures on him to contest with the view to wrestle power from Mark at the general election. The leaders from the zone formed a wall of resistance against Mark.
Mark went into the election against a tough opposition that was made up mostly of his PDP members who rose in support of ANPP's Usman Abubakar. Both the then Governor George Akume led Benue state government and members of the PDP in Benue-South stood strongly against Mark, a development which gave ANPP's Young Alhji an added advantage, apart from the respect and love he has continued to command form among his people.
The general elections of April 21, 2007 was marred by violence, use of armed thugs and the security agents to intimidate voters, but collation of result went smoothly in the evening until a twist emerged.
Results in two out of the nine local government areas of the zone, namely Okpokwu and Agatu were allegedly turned down by the Returning Officer who equally annulled them because they were confirmed to be falsified to give PDP's Mark the lead. The INEC Returning Officer in the zone entered only seven local governments which gave Young Alhaji the lead with 172,029 against David Mark's 98,029. But the Returning Officer did not announce a winner, as he rather took the result sheet to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Gabriel Ada who then sought clearance from INEC headquarters. Abuja rose on the third day of the impasse and directed Dr. Ada to include the cancelled votes of Okpokwu and Agatu and to declare Mark the winner, accordingly. Few hours after that controversial INEC declaration, Otukpo, headquarters of the zone and Makurdi, the state capital, were thrown into confusion as hundreds of youths and women stormed the streets and marched on in protest of the victory.
Also dissatisfied by the election results, Young Alhaji headed to the elections petitions tribunal in Makurdi where he was able to secure judgment in February 2008. The tribunal's verdict confirmed that the result sheets from the two local governments which gave Mark the lead were rigged, but refused to grant Alhaji's main prayer by declaring him winner based on the seven local governments, saying doing so will disenfranchise the people of Okpokwu and Agatu. The tribunal therefore, ordered for a fresh election to be conducted in the two areas.
Fierce truce
While the case lasted at the tribunal, the state Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani initiated a move to reconcile the two out of court, but basically for Mark to continue in the senate for the purpose of the Idoma producing the senate president. The Deputy Governor therefore sought the Idoma paramount ruler (Och'Idoma), Agaba Idu Elias Ikoyi Obekpa and Opiatoha K'Idoma, the socio-cultural and political organization of the people to constitute a 21 member peace and reconciliation committee to be headed by him (Lawani) and the paramount ruler.
But a twist ensued in this arrangement and clogged the wheels of progress in the implementation of this Lawani agenda. Both parties were invited to the palace in Otukpo but non appeared, a development which led to the decision that the two be visited separately for discussions. Just as the decision to visit the two; for talks was in the making, some members of the 21 committee rose with a warning against using their names to score some political point. One after another, members of then committee briefed the press to express their grievances over the peace move, which they then disclosed they had already withdrawn from. But even before this, the Opiatoha K'Idoma whose chairman, Chief Baba Odangla who was also named member in the controversial committee said its opinion is that Idomas are not interested in the so called reconciliation moves.
First to withdraw was a close associate of Alhaji, Mr. Donny Roberts who called the peace initiative "a cosmetic show", explaining that like himself, several other members of the committee were not contacted before their names were penciled down. "Like me, several other members only got up to hear their over Radio Benue and Joy FM that we are members of a peace committee. But nobody had contacted us before then. Truly I am not aware of any move to reconcile Young Alhaji and Mark to settle out of court", said Donny Roberts who added that he did not attend the meeting.
Another member of the committee and a PDP stalwart, Barrister Godwin Obla equally said he was not aware if he was a committee member since he was not contacted. Obla added that he did not attend the meeting where he was named a committee member. "Look, nobody invited us for any meeting. We only woke up to hear our names over a radio announcement as committee members for an assignment we knew nothing about. In as much as I want to continue to be of service to Idomaland, I don't think I will blindly agree to carry out an assignment I know nothing about. They ought to have informed me and then seek my consent before naming me a committee member. We are not in a military era when such formations were forced on people", added Obla.
Also, an elder, Chief Agada Igomu who strongly opposed the putting up of the committee in the first place, urged prominent Idoma sons and opinion leaders to allow natural justice take its course at the tribunal. He said he will never serve on any committee that would not give room for justice, maintaining that it is better that he had not been informed of his membership of the committee. He added "The absence of notable Idoma figures who have left landmarks in their field of endeavour - politics, military and business, among others refused to attend the meeting at Och'Idoma palace because they no longer desire the leadership of David Mark.
"You can imagine people like Gen. Geoffrey Ejiga (rtd), Gen. Chris Garba (rtd), Gen. Lawrence Onoja (rtd), Air Vice Marshall Yahaya (rtd), Col. Ishaku Abubakar (rtd), Col. Ernest Attah (rtd), former national Chairman of the PDP, Chief Audu Ogbe, AIG Paul Ochonu (rtd), Chief Abu Obe, Benue ANPP Chairman, Chief Godwin Ukpoju, Benue PDP Legal Adviser Chief (Barr.) John Ochoga, former Deputy Governor Prince Ogiri Ajene, Chief Mike Onoja, Chief Obande Obeya, former Senate President Chief Ameh Ebute, Prof. Armstrong Adejoh, Prof. Akpa and Dr. (Mrs) Enyantu Ifenne and scores of notable prominent figures from the Idoma nation are of the opinion to allow the tribunal conclude its work and declare who actually won the election".
The true took another twist
A second twist emerged when, a day after the second meeting failed, Young Alhaji received a letter threatening his life should he refuse to withdraw his petition against Mark. The letter was delivered by hand by a young man who claimed he was traveling from Abuja to the Eastern part of the country.
Honourable Peblo Obe, the Publicity Officer for Usman Abubakar told reporters at a press briefing in Makurdi. Peblo Obe said the letter which was addressed to "Young Alhaji", carried the name of "Otukpo Action Group' as the author. "The letter warned that Young Alhaji should be ready to face the music if he does not concede to the call of the Och'Idoma for him (Alhaji) to withdraw from the tribunal", said Peblo Obe who added that, "We had to make a report to the police immediately because no threat is small".
The threat on Young Alhaji's life was the second since the tribunal started hearing the petition he filed against Mark's victory. The first threat was just as the tribunal began sitting. A gang of seven gunmen suspected to be hired assassins, attacked and opened fire on the Otukpo residence of the ANPP candidate. He however escaped the attempt on his life, but his younger brother, Danjuma Abubakar was shot down during the attack.
The appeals for Young Alhaji to withdraw are based mostly on the fact that Idoma nation, and Benue state generally will lose the senate presidency in an event of a win by the petitioner. But Weekly Trust recalls that the Idomas went to the polls to elect a senator and not a senate president. He therefore refused to withdraw, and pursued the case to the logical conclusion where he still felt dissatisfied and ended up at the appeal court in Jos for a cross appeal with Mark.
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