By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has inaugurated the Tinubu/Alia 2027 Campaign Council as the All Progressives Congress (APC) begins mobilisation for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governor in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at IBB Square, Makurdi, on Thursday, Governor Alia said the people of Benue had no reason to look elsewhere, insisting that his administration was delivering on its promises while President Tinubu continued to support the state’s development efforts.
“Nigerians and the people of Benue State have no reason to look elsewhere when I am steadily delivering, and President Tinubu is also delivering and relentlessly supporting the state to regain its lost glory,” he said.
The inauguration of the campaign council, with Hon. Citizen Richard Asema as Director-General, was followed by the commissioning of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Office at Wurukum, Makurdi.
Governor Alia charged members of the council to demonstrate unity, commitment and dedication, noting that their appointments reflected the confidence reposed in them by the party leadership and the people of Benue State.
He urged APC members to put aside personal grievances, embrace reconciliation and work collectively towards securing victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.
The governor described the campaign council’s Director-General, Citizen Asema, as an experienced political leader with the capacity to coordinate the campaign and deliver the desired results.
Highlighting his administration’s achievements, Alia attributed progress in security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and industrialisation to the cooperation and support of President Tinubu and the Federal Government.
Particularly, he acknowledged federal interventions that had strengthened security operations and supported efforts to restore peace to communities previously affected by insecurity.
Among the achievements he listed were the recruitment of 9,700 primary school teachers, improvements in public school infrastructure, regular payment of salaries and pensions, road construction and the establishment of agricultural processing facilities.
On infrastructure, Alia disclosed that efforts to connect all 23 local government areas of the state through road networks were nearing completion, with approximately 25 per cent of the work remaining.
He also highlighted the revival and completion of previously abandoned projects, including Taraku Mills, the International Conference Centre at IBB Square and the Cancer Centre at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, as evidence of his administration’s commitment to continuity and development.
The governor pledged that, if re-elected in 2027, his administration would prioritise consolidating existing achievements rather than embarking on projects from scratch.
He said the administration remained committed to implementing its development blueprint, introduced in 2023, through the sustenance of ongoing initiatives, strengthening of completed projects and ensuring that public investments delivered lasting benefits.
Alia further identified industrialisation, agriculture and strategic investments in education, healthcare and commerce as key pillars of his administration’s determination to break the cycle of poverty and expand economic opportunities for residents.
He expressed optimism that Benue’s vast agricultural potential, alongside its emerging oil and gas prospects, could provide the state with the resources to build a stronger economy, generate substantial internally generated revenue and reduce dependence on federal allocations.
