Sen. David markA former federal permanent secretary in the ministry of defence, Mike Onoja has declared his intention to challenge the Senate President, David Mark in the next general election on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Onoja, who once contested against Governor Gabriel Suswan in 2007 to rule Benue State but failed is now on Mark’s throat.
Mark is representing the people of Benue South Senatorial district (zone C) comprising nine Local Government Areas in the state with Idoma having seven and Igede two, respectively.
Despite the declaration by the PDP and Suswan that there is no vacancy in zone C, Onoja has apparently put aside such arrangement.
Addressing a crowd of supporters that gathered in his honor in Oturkpo, the headquarters of the Idoma people, Onoja said it was unacceptable and undemocratic that one man will be there since 1999 as he must have lost ideas as well as touch with the grassroots.
The retired technocrat said that Mark had all the while been using Apa state creation to deceive the Idoma people in other to find his way to the red chambers.
“Deceiving our people is unacceptable and with your support we can stop that through the ballots.
“The zone C senate seat is not a birthright neither it is a traditional stool that one man will lay claims to.
“In the same vein, we most change the baton else it is breeding dictatorship, feudalism which end product is backwardness.”
Onoja also inaugurated a committee to mobilise grassroots support for his campaign. [myad]
