Why Idoma Has Not Produced a Benue Governor

Idoma politicians have not become Benue State governor mainly because the state’s informal power‑sharing arrangement, known as “zoning,” rotates the governorship between the three major ethnic groups—Idoma, Tiv and the “Benue‑Niger” (largely Hausa‑Fulanis). Since Benue’s creation in 1976, the office has alternated between Tiv and Benue‑Niger leaders, while the Idoma, who are a minority (about 15 % of the state’s population), have been allocated other political positions rather than the top slot. This informal quota, combined with limited intra‑party support, electoral dynamics, and the dominance of larger ethnic blocs, has kept an Idoma candidate from winning the governorship so far. Views Nigeria