BENUE AT 50 : THE COST OF MONOPOLIZED POWER AND THE FAILURE OF INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE
Benue State clocks 50 years today, a milestone that ought to inspire pride, reflection, and renewed commitment to collective progress. Sadly, for many citizens—especially those from the Idoma ethnic nationality—this anniversary evokes more pain than celebration.
Since the creation of Benue State in 1976, political power has remained largely monopolized by one ethnic group under the justification of numerical majority. For five decades, the Tiv political elite have dominated the governorship and the commanding heights of state power, while other ethnic groups, particularly the Idoma, have been systematically sidelined. Majority, in a democratic sense, should never translate into permanent ownership of power. Democracy is about fairness, inclusion, and justice—not domination.
Across Nigeria, younger states created well after Benue have embraced zoning arrangements that rotate power among senatorial districts, ensuring equity and a sense of belonging. Such arrangements have fostered peace, accountability, and accelerated development. Benue’s refusal to adopt a fair zoning system has entrenched exclusion, deepened mistrust, and stalled development.
For 50 years, the Idoma people have endured political marginalization—excluded from the governorship, underrepresented in key decision-making positions, and treated as political spectators in a state they equally own. This persistent exclusion is not only unjust; it is dangerous to unity and social cohesion.
Beyond the politics of exclusion lies a more troubling reality: the glaring failure of governance. Benue State, despite its rich agricultural potential and human capital, lags behind in basic development indicators. Accountability in governance has been weak, with public resources often mismanaged and leaders rarely held responsible for their actions. Transparency remains elusive, as citizens are left in the dark about budgets, contracts, and policy priorities.
Development, the core purpose of governance, has been largely absent. Many rural and urban communities still lack access to quality primary education, leaving children without a solid foundation for the future. Basic amenities such as clean water, electricity, and good roads are either inadequate or completely lacking in vast parts of the state. Primary healthcare facilities are poorly equipped or nonexistent, exposing the poor to preventable diseases and needless deaths.
Security, another fundamental duty of the state, has failed alarmingly. Farmers can no longer safely cultivate their lands, communities live in fear, and lives are lost with little response or accountability. A government that cannot protect its people has failed in its most basic responsibility.
From a socialist perspective, governance must prioritize the collective good over ethnic dominance and elite interests. Power must serve the people, not entrench privilege. Equity, fairness, and inclusion are not favors—they are rights. A Benue State that continues on the path of exclusion and poor governance cannot achieve sustainable development.
At 50, Benue must choose a new direction. Embracing zoning, ending ethnic marginalization, strengthening accountability, ensuring transparency, and investing in education, healthcare, security, and basic amenities are no longer optional—they are urgent necessities.
A just Benue is possible. But it requires courage to break old habits, humility to share power, and commitment to serve all, not a few.
*Happy 50th Anniversary, Benue State—but may the next chapter be one of justice, inclusion, and true development* .
*OG Smith Idoma*
“`Socialist“`
3rd February 2026
