Terhemen Tarzoor is a familiar face in Benue State’s politi­cal terrain. After serving as Speaker of the state House of Assembly in 2011 under the plat­form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before his eviction by the election tribunal. Tarzoor, who is gunning for the governorship seat in the state spoke with FRED ITUA in Abuja on issues affecting the state.
He vowed that the state will not fall within the control of the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC), contrary to speculations by political observ­ers. Excerpts:
You have been in the political space for sometime; you know the people going into the gubernatorial race in 2015 in Benue State. What are your chances?
I cannot talk about other parties. I will talk about the PDP, because that is my party. For me to join the race, I have taken time to study Benue politics. I have looked into the matrix for now, using the SWOT analysis, ( strength, weakness, opportunities and threats). I can tell you that our own strength without being told, outweighs the weaknesses. That is why we are confidently offering ourselves to serve in this regard. I have over time believed right from day one when I came into the race, that I was contesting elections just myself and other people. So, it’s just me and others.
Recall that in 2011, the de­funct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)  which is now APC almost sacked  the PDP in Benue State. What do we expect this time as we go into the 2015 elections?
We are not living in the past even though the past is very important to project the future. We know that for a number of times now, people who are kingpins in the APC have been decamping to the PDP. I can mention names. You see people like Professors Nyione, Saror and others. a good number of them are coming into the PDP. So, where is the threat? We are saying they no longer have the bite again because before we get to nomination time, a good number of kingpins from the APC would have defected to the PDP because they know that it is going to be the win­ning party.
So, in essence, you are saying APC has no place in Benue politics come 2015?
Even if they do, we know for certain they are not going to win. They have a place because it is a party on ground. They do, but we are telling you for the purpose of elections, PDP is going to win the state.
In 2011, the tribunal upturned your elections…
I did not give it up. It was a case pur­sued at the lower tribunal. I lost out and I appealed and lost the appeal which was the terminal point. There was no way I could go to the Supreme Court because the case was to be terminated at the appeal court level and as a respecter of the rule of law, I said I was fine with this. There is always another time. So, I left without triggering some crisis because there was no need in doing that.
But won’t your loss at the tribunal in 2011 affect your chances in 2015?
Not at all, rather it is bringing sympa­thy to me. People are seeing it that this is somebody who was shortchanged by the society and that he should be paid back. That is why you see a lot of people coming in and bringing their funds to bear on this project. A good number of people will tell you this young man was shortchanged by the system. So, let us compensate his ef­forts. That is why I said a lot of sympathy is pouring at my own side. That is why we are able to move to where we are today.
Fulani herdsmen conflict with the natives have become frequent occurrences  in your state. As an aspirant, how do you think this challenge can be resolved?
I maintain my grounds that once secu­rity is discussed,, it is no longer security. But I have a package in that regard. We know the border local governments. It is a matter of protecting the border local governments. We will not be hemmed in the center. It is a security model I have, but what makes it a security model is that I should keep it to my chest and discuss only with the security experts when I get into office. But I am going to ensure that we strengthen the vigilance law that has already been passed. We will continuously ensure that we block those areas where these crimes might come from. We will be proactive before the crises come up.
Benue state is called the Food Basket of the Nation, yet the state has not been able to harness this huge opportunity Do you have any blueprint regarding that sector?
The problem for an average farmer anytime, anyday is the non-availability of markets for their produce. As a govern­ment, we will ensure that we provide mar­kets where their products can be bought. That is why we are emphasising on com­mercial agriculture which is different from industrial agriculture. It will be designed in such a way that we will be able to buy the products from thee farmers in these markets I have talked about. The moment we do this, they will be motivated to go back to their farms and do more, knowing full well that there are existing markets where these products will be bought. That is one of the ways we can move agricul­ture forward in the state.
Observers believe Benue State has had its own fair share of bad governance since 1999. Does that bother you as an aspirant?
For every government, the person pilot­ing the affairs has his or her own focus. So, you are not in the position to say that this is where we are going to assess the entire system because the person is coming with his own ideas and focus. He might say I want to concentrate on infrastructure or agriculture and so on and so forth, but watching on the sidelines. Where I am coming from, it is now difficult to say, you have not done this, you have not done well. But if you assess our government on our focal point which is laying the infra­structure that Benue state can build upon and be greater, then you give such gov­ernment a pass mark. When you go to Benue today, you see the road networks that are on ground. You will appreciate the work. Benue has moved forward and so many other issues I can tell you without mincing words. Government has also ensured that we grow in that regard based on our own focal point. I also have my own focal area and when I come in, I will build on that and still drag the state to greater height. Another person that will succeed me will still have his or her own focal point and by so doing, the state will grow from time to time.
Do you have the blessings of the incumbent governor?
Certainly. If you ask me that question, I will say yes, because he is the number one stakeholder and we must always consult with him and he has never told me no and that’s why I am still in the race.

2015: ‘APC has no chance in Benue’