Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Godwin Obla has condemned the “needless, mindless, and wicked” marginalization of the Idoma ethnic group in Benue State, calling for the creation of a separate Idoma State to address decades of exclusion from political power and governance.

Obla, a prominent Idoma leader, raised these concerns during an interview with journalists at the inaugural dinner of the Idoma Hall of Fame Advisory Board in Abuja on Thursday evening. The event celebrated the contributions of Idoma luminaries to Nigeria’s history and development, but Obla’s remarks quickly focused on the community’s enduring struggles within the Nigerian federation.

Benue State, created in 1976, comprises three senatorial districts, with the Idoma people predominantly occupying the Benue South zone. Despite their significant population and rich cultural heritage one of Nigeria’s few ethnic groups with such a storied legacy—Obla highlighted how the Idoma have been systematically sidelined in state politics and resource allocation.

“We are more than ripe to have a state, and I think the history of the Idoma people is an unfortunate one,” Obla stated emphatically. “We are one of the few ethnic groups with a rich history that has been needlessly, mindlessly, and wickedly marginalized. It doesn’t make sense that in a state created in 1976, out of three senatorial districts, the Idoma, who constitute a nation in one of them, are denied a fair say in the governance of the state.”

He argued that this exclusion signals the Idoma are fundamentally “not wanted” in Benue State. “If that is the case, then we need a state of our own,” Obla asserted, framing the demand not as a reactionary outburst but as a grounded call rooted in “principles of fairness, inclusion, and justice.”

Obla drew parallels to historical struggles for autonomy, noting the irony in Benue’s dynamics. “We are nationalists, and we have been patient long enough,” he said. “It is deeply unfair that what is happening in Benue State today mirrors exactly what the Tiv leadership once opposed in their quest for self-determination.”

The Tiv, the state’s largest ethnic group, have long dominated Benue’s leadership since its inception, with governors and key positions disproportionately allocated to Tiv indigenes. This imbalance has fueled longstanding tensions, including previous agitations from Idoma groups for greater representation.

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