By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
A member of the Presidential Campaign Council’s Media and Communications Committee and National Convener of The Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has expressed confidence that Benue State will deliver overwhelming votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia in the 2027 general elections.
Showunmi gave the assurance on Thursday in Makurdi during an interactive session with journalists, where he said his team’s engagements with residents and critical stakeholders across the state had revealed strong support for the two leaders.
He explained that the visit was aimed at assessing the mood of the people, their level of preparedness for the forthcoming elections, their expectations of the Tinubu administration and the potential votes the President could secure in Benue.
According to him, the responses received from young people, women, men, community leaders and members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) had been encouraging.
“It has been a very pleasant experience. Young, old, women, men, critical stakeholders and even members of IPAC have given us a good account of their interpretation of the programmes and policies of this administration,” he said.
Showunmi added that the consistent message from the people was that President Tinubu should continue to remember Benue State and do more to address its development needs.
He said the people were particularly proud of the emergence of Senator George Akume, a Benue indigene, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, describing the position as strategically important to the administration.
The campaign official also noted that residents had expressed satisfaction with Governor Alia’s performance, citing ongoing road construction projects, efforts to revive moribund industries and the establishment of local production facilities.
He listed the production of vegetable oil, the establishment of a Benue bakery and a water factory among the initiatives residents highlighted during the interactions.
Showunmi further pointed to federal government interventions on major roads, including the Enugu–Otukpo road and the Abuja–Nasarawa–Benue road, as projects contributing to the positive disposition of residents towards the administration.
He said the people were also hopeful about the planned commencement of operations at a cement factory in the state.
According to him, the regular payment of salaries and other emoluments by the state government was another development residents had welcomed.
“They are very happy that salaries and emoluments of their people are now being paid as and when due,” he said, attributing the improvement partly to the federal government’s restructuring of the country’s fiscal and financial framework.
Showunmi maintained that the feedback from the state indicated that residents were prepared to support Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polls.
“They are not only going to vote for the President and his party; they are going to do everything humanly possible to ensure that the number is total. So, anytime you see us in Benue now, we are saying it is total,” he declared.
He described the political atmosphere in the state as encouraging, citing the enthusiasm displayed by supporters through campaign slogans identifying Tinubu with Nigeria and Alia with Benue.
“When you say Tinubu, they would shout Nigeria. When you say Nigeria, they would scream Tinubu. When you say Benue, they would shout Alia. And when you say APC, they would say, ‘Yes Father.’
“That type of energy tells us that they are already in campaign mood and that the entire state is on board,” he said.
The campaign official added that non-indigenes living in Benue had also expressed satisfaction with the prevailing atmosphere in the state.
Beyond the electoral contest, Showunmi urged political leaders and residents to close ranks, reduce internal disagreements and promote unity among the state’s major ethnic groups.
He cautioned against excessive political criticism, infighting and the deepening of ethnic divisions, arguing that such tendencies could undermine Benue’s collective interests at a time when the state was attracting international attention.
Showunmi specifically referenced the activities of Stephen Enada, a Benue indigene in the United States, who he said had been engaging American authorities, including officials at the State Department, Congress and the office of President Donald Trump, on issues concerning the state.
He urged the people to use the growing attention to demonstrate unity, political maturity and the capacity to influence national affairs.
“Now you must close ranks among yourselves. It doesn’t make any sense for too much criticism, fighting and infighting. We are all brothers. There isn’t much difference between the Tiv, Idoma and Igede,” he said.
Showunmi also encouraged the people of Benue to position themselves for greater political opportunities at the national level, arguing that the state should not rule out producing a Nigerian president in the future.
“If power is going to swing from the South to the North when the President is finished, who told you Benue cannot seek to be President? If we deliver the numbers as we should, after all, North-Central is also North,” he added.
He called for issue-based political engagement, urging politicians and citizens to embrace constructive criticism and peaceful disagreement while rejecting misinformation, ethnic antagonism and attempts to exploit existing divisions.
According to him, national unity remains essential to Nigeria’s progress and the ability of its constituent states to advance their interests.
“Nigeria is the greatest attention in the world. The more we are together, the happier we shall be,” Showunmi said.
