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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Six opposition political parties in Benue South Senatorial District have thrown their weight behind Senator Abba Moro’s re-election bid in 2027, with plans for their candidates to withdraw from the race and formally endorse the incumbent.
The parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Labour Party (LP), National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Action Peoples Party (APP).
The decision followed a stakeholders’ meeting in the zone, where party chairmen, women and youth leaders deliberated on the senatorial contest and agreed to mobilise support for Moro.
Representatives of the Legacy faction of the ADC, the Abure faction of the Labour Party and the ZLP were among those who publicly declared their support at the meeting.
Factional chairman of the ADC in Benue, Elias Adikwu, said stakeholders in his structure had collectively resolved to support Moro.
“Their decision this morning was that they have declared their support for Senator Abba Moro.”
Adikwu, however, clarified that his group was the “Legacy ADC,” which is involved in an ongoing legal dispute over the party’s leadership and candidate.
According to him, the faction was awaiting a court decision after raising concerns that the name of its preferred candidate had not been uploaded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Benue State leader of the Labour Party’s Abure faction, Ibrahim Idoko, said he consulted leaders in his constituency, including the chairman, secretary and women leader, before arriving at the decision to support Moro.
“The re-election of Senator Abba Moro is sacrosanct. After now, we will still continue to mobilise our people, and we may disagree to agree, but I can assure you, our support at the end of our engagement with our people will still be for Senator Abba Moro,” he said.
ZLP chairman, Simon Ogbe, who also spoke on behalf of the other parties, said the stakeholders arrived at their decision after assessing the candidates in the race.
“After due diligence and verification of all the candidates that are contesting this election, we have assessed them and we have come to an agreement,” he said.
Ogbe said the coalition would take the decision to the grassroots and seek to bring more political parties into the alliance ahead of the election.
He said the parties were looking beyond zoning in considering the senatorial contest.
“At this point, we are talking about competency, we are talking about track record, and we are talking about integrity, and Senator Abba Moro is the man,” he said.
Ogbe disclosed that six parties were represented at the meeting, adding that a larger formal endorsement would be held in the coming days.
According to him, the senatorial candidates of the participating parties were expected to withdraw from the contest and endorse Moro at the event.
ADC woman leader, Ochanya Attah, said women leaders of the participating parties had also resolved to work together to mobilise support for Moro across their constituencies.
“We are here to join our hands together to work together to pass the message that we are working for our honourable patriarch, Senator Abba Moro,” Attah said.
The stakeholders said the meeting was preparatory to the formal endorsement, with plans to expand the coalition and intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 senatorial election.
