By: Fabian Apechihin

The Benue State House of Assembly has explained the circumstances surrounding the sudden resignation of its Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, insisting that the decision was based on personal principle and not influenced by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Dajoh stepped down abruptly on Sunday, after which Hon. Alfred Berger Ermberga — who had only days earlier been suspended over an alleged plot to unseat him — was unanimously elected and sworn in as the new Speaker.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Assembly spokesperson Elias Audu dismissed speculations linking Governor Alia to the leadership change, stressing that the legislature operates independently.

“If the governor had an interest, it is not within the knowledge of the Assembly,” Audu said. “I am convinced the Speaker resigned on personal grounds. The House remains peaceful, and members are independent-minded — no one can coerce them.”

He added that the transition was smooth and reflected the collective will of the Assembly. “Hon. Dajoh voluntarily resigned. He did his best for the peace and development of the state. When he decided it was time to quit, the House unanimously voted Honourable Berger Ermberga in a peaceful atmosphere.”

Audu also restated the Assembly’s commitment to separation of powers. “When nominees are sent by the governor, we scrutinise them. If we believe something is not in the people’s interest, we say so. Since the House was inaugurated in 2023, we’ve maintained peace, even though politics comes with diverse interests.”

However, Lagos-based journalist and former ministerial spokesman, Ismail Omipidan, has offered a different angle. In a commentary titled “Benue House: Why Speaker Dajoh Was Removed”, he linked the resignation to the Speaker’s handling of last week’s screening of commissioner nominees.

Omipidan argued that Dajoh’s decision to lead the rejection of Prof. Yangien Ornguga — Associate Professor of Law at Benue State University and younger brother of the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse — may have triggered his downfall.

According to him, Ornguga’s nomination was tied to Governor Alia’s reported promise of a cabinet slot to the Tor Tiv, the paramount ruler of the Tiv people and a close ally of the governor.

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By: Fabian Apechihin

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today hold its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, with disciplinary action against some top members, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, expected to dominate discussions.

The Tom Ikimi-led disciplinary committee has already submitted its report to the National Working Committee (NWC), recommending sanctions against members accused of working against the PDP during the 2023 general elections.

Also high on the agenda is the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers will be elected. While the 101st NEC had ratified the date, Wike has opposed the plan, insisting his camp was sidelined. He has also demanded recognition of a South-South congress conducted by his loyalists, which produced Dan Orbih as zonal chairman but was rejected by the NWC.

PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, assured that preparations for the NEC meeting were complete. “It is going to be a very successful outing. NEC members have already been arriving. The venue is guaranteed, and the NWC is in session. The outcome will be communicated later in the day,” he told Daily Trust.

He said the NEC would focus primarily on reviewing progress since its last meeting, particularly the work of the Convention Planning Committee, but confirmed that disciplinary matters — including Wike’s case — would also be tabled.

Party insiders, however, disclosed that while Wike’s name would come up, it was unclear whether sanctions would be imposed immediately. “It will be discussed, but whether it would get to the level of sanctioning him, I am not going to guarantee that,” a senior NWC member said.

Former PDP National Secretary, Ibrahim Tsauri, dismissed concerns that Wike could derail the convention. “The convention is going to hold. One single person, no matter how highly placed, is not NEC, is not NWC, is not even a governor,” he insisted.

Meanwhile, PDP chieftain Conrad Terhide Utaan called for firmness. “It’s high time the party moved from barking to biting. If any member frustrates a valid decision of the party, then sanctions must apply,” he said.

As the NEC convenes, attention is fixed on how the PDP will manage its internal rifts, which continue to test the party’s unity ahead of 2027.

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By: Fabian Apechihin

Former Minister of Information and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Jerry Gana, has warned party leaders against abandoning the zoning principle ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at a meeting of PDP elders and stakeholders, Gana said the party’s survival depends on upholding its long-standing rotation of power between the North and South.

“If PDP dares to betray zoning again, like Jonathan in 2015 and Atiku in 2023, we will bury the party,” he declared. “Our founding fathers designed zoning to ensure fairness, justice, and unity. Each time we abandon it, we pay a heavy price. We cannot afford to repeat history in 2027.”

The PDP has a troubled history with zoning. In 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to seek re-election despite northern opposition triggered internal revolt, paving the way for the party’s loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Similarly, in 2023, the decision to throw the presidential ticket open produced Atiku Abubakar from the North while the party chairman was also from the region, fueling the G5 governors’ rebellion and fracturing the PDP.

With the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, zoning is expected to dominate discussions. The zoning committee, led by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, is due to submit its recommendations to the National Executive Committee (NEC) this week.

Many party stakeholders, including Gana, insist that the presidency must return to the South in 2027 if the PDP hopes to regain national relevance.

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