The race for the 2027 Benue State governorship has taken a fresh twist as Dr Raymond Edoh has emerged as the preferred candidate of Zone C under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), following a decisive elders’ committee selection.

The committee reportedly returned an 11–1 verdict in favour of Edoh, after assessing capacity, manifesto strength, experience, public acceptance and leadership record.

Dr Edoh, an economist, researcher and former Secretary-General of the Nigerian Youth Congress, as well as a UN-Habitat Ambassador, is now expected to slug it out with the Zone A flagbearer at the party’s main primaries.

His emergence has already triggered political ripples within the Idoma-dominated Zone C, where long-standing complaints of marginalisation have continued to shape political conversations ahead of 2027.

In a related development, the Chairman of the NDC Elders Forum in Benue State, Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan (rtd), has written a strongly worded memorandum to the party’s National Secretary, demanding that the governorship ticket be zoned to Zone C.

Morgan argued that since the creation of Benue State in 1976, Zone C has never produced a democratically elected governor, insisting that the pattern of exclusion must be addressed to avoid political resentment.

He warned that the political arithmetic could backfire if the party fields another Tiv candidate, noting that most major parties are already tilting towards Zones A and B, a move he said could deepen voter apathy in the Idoma axis.

According to him, the emergence of Dr Edoh, coupled with what he described as renewed political momentum in the zone and consultations with national figures including former Kano governor and political leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, presents what he called a “historic opportunity” for the party.

Morgan maintained that zoning the ticket to Zone C was both a moral duty and an electoral strategy, warning that internal tensions in other zones could weaken the party’s chances if not carefully managed.

As the May 29 primaries draw closer, the NDC faces a delicate balancing act between internal zoning pressure and broader electoral calculations, with Zone C now firmly at the centre of the storm.