By Emmanuel Antswen
Former speaker pro-tempore of the House of Representatives, High Chief Terngu Tsegba, says he is contesting for the Benue North-West Senate seat to provide effective representation and amplify his constituents’ voices.
Tsegba, who is African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Makurdi that he was fully aware of the plight of his people and was committed to drawing government attention to their challenges.
The former three-term House of Reps member who represented the Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency pledged to pursue legislative processes that would promote economic recovery if elected to the Senate.
He said his decision was motivated by a desire to restore purposeful representation for the people aimed at improving the well-being of his constituents.
Tsegba expressed concern over what he described as the failure of elected representatives to speak out against persistent attacks and killings in their constituencies.
“I am in this race because of my passion and desire to bring about change in my community. I have had the privilege of representing part of Benue North-West before, and we spoke for our people.
“What is happening today is unfortunate. Even when our people are attacked and killed, our representatives can hardly speak up.
“The least the people expect is that if those you represent are under attack, you should raise your voice on their behalf,” he said.
Explaining his decision to join the ADC, Tsegba said he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of internal contradictions that weakened the party.
He expressed confidence that the ADC would provide a platform for credible leadership and policies capable of addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Tsegba also said the prevailing hardship had increased public acceptance of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He expressed confidence that his previous record in the House of Representatives would work in his favour, saying constituents now had the opportunity to assess his performance and compare it with others.
Tsegba, who spoke on many national issues, faulted the Federal Government’s food import policy, arguing that it had undermined local farmers who were already grappling with high production costs.
He said the high cost of fertiliser and the crash in prices of locally produced farm commodities had made agriculture less profitable, making it difficult for beneficiaries of agricultural intervention programmes to repay their loans.
“The middle class has been wiped out. Today, you have only the rich and the poor. Many civil servants can no longer afford to maintain their vehicles, while families are struggling to pay school fees and medical bills,” he said.
He linked worsening insecurity to the country’s economic challenges, warning that persistent hardship could drive more people into crime if urgent corrective measures were not taken.
The ADC candidate urged the Federal Government to address inflation, lower interest rates, strengthen security and increase investment in infrastructure to stimulate economic growth. (NAN)