By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
The governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Benue State, Prof. Terhemba Shija, has pledged to tackle insecurity, create employment opportunities and end the prolonged displacement of communities if elected governor in 2027.
Shija made the pledge on Thursday in Makurdi, the state capital, during the flag-off of the party’s campaign, where he outlined his vision for the state and appealed to voters to support the NDC.
The candidate said the party was founded on the principles of minority rights, inclusivity, human dignity and respect for the rule of law, promising to pursue a different approach to governance if elected.
Shija expressed concern over the continued displacement of Benue residents from their ancestral communities, saying the proliferation of internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camps was evidence of the worsening situation.
He questioned the rationale behind displacing people from their ancestral homes and subsequently seeking to establish cattle ranches in their communities.
“How can you push me away from my home, and then attempt to bring people with cows to establish ranches in our backyard?” he asked.
The NDC candidate promised to reverse what he described as the shortcomings of the present administration, declaring: “I will do exactly the opposite of what this administration is doing.”
He also pledged to create jobs and provide opportunities for young people, stressing that employment generation would be central to his administration if elected.
Shija said the four months leading to the election would be sufficient to mobilise support for the NDC, promising an extensive grassroots campaign across the state.
“We will take this campaign village to village, ward to ward, local government to local government,” he said, adding that the party would use the campaign to explain its policies and programmes to the electorate.
He further pledged to promote technology-driven and transparent party primaries, while promising to recruit and train young people to assume leadership responsibilities within the party.
The candidate’s running mate, Raymond Edoh, said the NDC would work to develop Benue and restore the dignity of residents displaced by insecurity.
Edoh lamented that many Benue residents had become “refugees in their own land”, promising that an NDC government would work to reverse the situation.
He challenged the electorate to hold the party accountable if elected, saying, “If we are elected and we don’t do what we promised, stone us.”
