Benue: Gov Alia inaugurates 2027 campaign council, says re-election will ensure sustainability

Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has inaugurated the Tinubu/Alia 2027 Campaign Council as the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue begins preparations for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Alia in the 2027 general elections.

Alia said Nigeria and Benue State had no reason to look elsewhere, insisting that he was steadily delivering on his promises while President Tinubu was also making progress and providing relentless support to the state to regain its lost glory.

The Tinubu/Alia Campaign Council, which has Hon Citizen Richard Asema as Director-General, was inaugurated by the governor at IBB Square on Thursday. The event was followed by the commissioning of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Office at Wurukum, Makurdi.

Speaking during the occasion, Governor Alia charged members of the council to demonstrate unity, commitment and dedication, describing their appointments as a reflection of the confidence reposed in them by the party leadership and the people of Benue State.

The governor also urged party members in the state to put aside personal grievances, embrace reconciliation and work collectively towards securing victory for the APC in the forthcoming elections.

He described the Director-General, Citizen Asema, as an experienced political leader with the capacity to coordinate the campaign and deliver the desired result.

Highlighting his achievements in office, Governor Alia attributed the successes recorded by his administration in security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and industrialisation to the cooperation and support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government.

He particularly acknowledged federal interventions that had strengthened security operations and supported efforts to restore peace to previously troubled communities in the state.

The governor also listed 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 among the achievements of his administration.

He noted that the partnership between the state and the federal government had contributed significantly to these developments.

On infrastructure, the governor 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 cited 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.

He promised that, if re-elected, he would concentrate on consolidating existing achievements rather than starting new projects from scratch.

According to the governor, his administration remained committed to implementing its development blueprint since assuming office in 2023 and would focus on sustaining ongoing initiatives, strengthening completed projects and ensuring that public investments delivered lasting benefits if re-elected in 2027.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, the governor further stated that industrialisation, agriculture and strategic investments in education, healthcare and commerce would remain central to his administration’s determination to break the cycle of poverty and expand economic opportunities for the people.

He expressed confidence that Benue’s enormous agricultural potential, coupled with its emerging oil and gas prospects, could provide the state with the resources needed to build a stronger economy and generate substantial internal revenue, thereby reducing its dependence on federal allocations.