By Chesa Chesa
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will remain united in the state despite post-primary agitations, pledging to deliver an even stronger electoral performance for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Speaking after a meeting with the President, Alia, who was accompanied to the parley by Senator Gabriel Suswam, acknowledged that some party faithful were dissatisfied following the APC primaries but said the concerns would soon subside.
“I know there have been some agitations from APC faithful after the primaries, but I believe that it’s going to calm down,” he said.
Describing Tinubu as “a democrat” and “a grassroots person,” the governor said the APC in Benue would consolidate its support base ahead of the next general election.
“I am very confident that as I won the election the first time, we’re going to double the numbers for him, and APC will continue to remain one strong platform. We’re going to make it good for him and for the entire Benue State as well,” Alia said.
The Governor also declared that the security in the state has improved considerably, with relative peace returning to many communities, even as efforts continue to facilitate the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes.
He noted that although many IDPs were voluntarily returning to their communities, some security concerns remained.
“This is a farming season for us; we are the food basket of the nation. If the IDPs are voluntarily going home, do we still have some anxieties out there? The answer is yes, and so he needed to know how we are tackling that,” he said.
The governor expressed optimism that peace would continue to improve, describing the state as “relatively calm.”
He recalled that President Tinubu had visited Benue a week earlier for the state’s 50th anniversary celebration, during which he commissioned the Benue Fruit Concentrate Factory, while the President’s Chief of Staff represented him at the commissioning of another project.
According to Alia, two other major industrial projects—the Benue Food Basket Beer Factory and the Fruit Juice Factory—are yet to be inaugurated.
He added that the First Lady had also commissioned 10 urban renewal roads executed by his administration, noting that several other completed projects remain awaiting commissioning.
“We came to thank him for showing up at Benue at 50 and also to update him on the situation report of the entire state,” the governor said.
