Benue Promises One Million Votes for Tinubu in 2027 Election

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Samuel Ode, Benue State Deputy Governor, has made a bold declaration on behalf of the state's governor, Father Hyacinth Alia, that they will deliver one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election. This statement was made during a media tour of ongoing infrastructure projects across Makurdi, including the newly constructed High-Level Interchange and the Wurukum Overhead Bridge.

Speaking earlier at the High-Level Interchange, Ode credited the Tinubu administration's increased federation account allocations to states as the primary financial engine behind Benue's expanding infrastructure programme. He argued that the allocation, which has multiplied since Tinubu's government came into being, is being utilised for the benefit of the people of Benue State.

The High-Level Interchange, built on the site of what was formerly known as the High-Level Roundabout, is a central traffic hub connecting four major arterial roads in the state capital. This interchange connects four major arterial roads, including the Remi Tinubu Road, which connects all the way back to the corridor moving from Abuja to Enugu.

The project, awarded to Powerhouse Nigeria Limited in February 2024 with an initial 12-month timeline later extended by six months, has significantly reduced accidents at what was previously one of Makurdi's most dangerous roundabouts. According to Abraham Wombo, the Director of Civil Engineering at the Benue State Ministry of Works, Housing and Urban Development, Phase One of the interchange had cost N6.9bn.

At the Wurukum Overhead Bridge, a federal project forming Phase Two of the Akwanga-Makurdi Road linking Abuja to Ninth Mile in Enugu State, Ode said the state government had fulfilled all its obligations, including compensation for demolished structures and environmental impact assessments, to enable the China Harbour Engineering Company-led project to proceed. The Federal Controller of Works in Benue State, Mukaila Danladi, projected that the contractor will deliver the project by December 2027, ahead of the original January 2028 deadline.

The tour also stopped at the Food Basket Breweries, a state-government-backed brewery producing the Ziva beer and malt brands. Plant Manager, Adoje Emmanuel, said the facility has a production capacity of 5,000 hectolitres in two shifts and currently employs over 1,000 people.