Comrade Daniel Onjeh was a one time president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS. He contested the last Benue South senatorial district election with the former senate president, David Mark, on the platform of the APC and lost but the Appeal Court in Makurdi in its ruling ordered a rerun of that election. In this interview, Onjeh spoke on why he is running against Senator Mark, the rumours that he is being sponsored by political godfathers from the Tiv speaking areas of the state and lots more.

By Peter Duru

Why are you running for the Senate?

I am in this race to liberate my people from the claws of the PDP and Senator David Mark. You will agree with me that aside the legislative duties of the lawmaker, there are also the oversight functions and constituency projects and as far as we know our people have not enjoyed any dividends of democracy and good governance that ought to have come from the office that the former Senate President occupied.

There were so many dams and feeder roads that ought to have come to our people but that did not happen and lots more.

This is an oppression, my people have been under neo-colonialism, if I may say, hence we need a total liberation from the shackles of oppression, and that is what informed my decision to step into the race and nothing more.

Are you confident of putting up a good fight in the coming rerun election ?

Onjeh-Daniel

I want to borrow a leaf from the historic battle of David and Goliath. David was a misfit and an underdog in that battle.

All it took to challenge a Goliath was just the courage and courage has to be driven by vision. David’s courage was driven by the courage to liberate his people.

And also, my courage to challenge my opponent was driven by the vision to liberate my people from 16 years of oppression. And that is what is giving me the confidence to win the election.

But it is alleged that you are being sponsored by politicians outside your district to suppress the Idoma agenda?

It is definitely from the camp of my opponent. They have not hidden it, they say it openly at various fora. Why is he saying it? Why wasn’t this an issue at the  March 28th  election? I would say my opponent has consistently used political gimmick to perpetuate himself in office.

The first was the sing song of Apa state creation. And then, that political gambit having fallen flat on the ground and not sellable to the people, he moved to the issue of remaining as Senate President in order to take the people to a position of prominence in the nation, prominence which did not improve the   wellbeing of the people, which did   not translate to the development of the people.

I expected my opponent and his team to come out with positions by giving account of his stewardship to the people and what more he has to offer and things he hoped to achieve in his remaining three years because obviously he has stayed for 17 years. I think the issue of being sponsored or being a surrogate are just talks that are meant to divert attention from the real issues. Are these same people that are said to be sponsoring me also responsible for the 17 years of underdevelopment of Benue South?

Didn’t he also at some point enjoy the support of the Benue State government when Senator Akume was a PDP Governor? On two occasions he contested against Usman Abubakar and won. Akume was the Governor and he got all the state support to remain as a senator.

When it suits him, it’s not a crime. Come to think of it, are Governor Ortom and Senator Akume PDP? No, they are APC. Is he encouraging them to do anti-party?

The David Mark we know cannot do anti-party for sentiments, relation or friend. He would definitely not.