A political group under the aegis of the Movement for the Actualization of Kwande Gubernatorial Ambition, MAKGA, has embarked on agitations to stop the second bid of Gov. Hyacinth Alia.
They are canvassing for the ceding of the 2027 governorship slot to their area to allow for the completion of the tenure of the late Aper Aku, which was cut short by the 1983 military coup.
The group, which comprises politicians drawn from various political parties, including the ruling APC and the main opposition PDP, made their agitations known at a news briefing in Makurdi on Thursday.
They further reiterated that Kwande and Ushongo LGAs of the state deserve to produce the next governor in 2027 to complete the tenure of the first civilian governor of the state, the late Aper Aku.
The convener of the group, Leonard Ikyem, argued that the basis upon which the Kwande people canvassed for the highest elective position in the state— which, unfortunately, could not be realized in 2023— still remains valid.
According to him: “We, the offspring of the dynamic, patriotic, and progressive people of the Kwande Intermediate Area, comprising Kwande and Ushongo LGAs, wish to inform the good people of Benue of our desire to renew the governorship ambition of the Kwande people in 2027.
“As we are all aware, the democratic process in Nigeria will open another chapter in 2027 with fresh opportunities, and we intend to mobilize our people to step forward and explore this new frontier.
“One such opportunity is that the Kwande Intermediate Area has established a tradition of selfless, committed, and dedicated service to the people of the state in all areas of life.
“We wish to assure the Benue people that if given another opportunity, a Kwande indigene with the requisite qualifications, experience, and capacity (and many such individuals abound) will not only sustain that tradition but surpass the yet-to-be-matched milestones achieved by late Governor Apollos Aper Aku, the first civilian governor of the state.
“Please mark this—Kwande still has another big, pleasant surprise for the Benue people. We wish to stress that the Kwande governorship agenda, which is predicated on a solid desire to offer unequalled service delivery, predates and transcends individuals and groups.
“We, the members of this movement, have not embarked on a new exercise— we only seek to complete an assignment that has yet to be realized.
“Each generation must discover its mission, betray it, or accomplish it,” says a prominent philosopher. We have chosen to accomplish our mission.
“We reiterate that as the offspring of very confident patriots who have offered the ultimate sacrifice several times and also rendered proven and undeniable quality service to the state, we believe Benue would recognize these efforts and reciprocate by giving us another opportunity.
“The greatest security challenges confronting the state today remind us that Kwande once made solid contributions to the survival of the inhabitants of the Benue valley by providing a platform and rallying support that repelled deadly marauders in the past.
“It is our conviction that the painful divisions, unnecessary polarization in the polity, acrimony, and bitterness within the state today are all signs that Benue has been waiting for Kwande.
“We hereby solicit the support of the Benue electorate as we embark on this noble democratic quest to sustain and actualize our ambition.”