Benue belongs to its people, not killers, says ADC Guber candidate Hembe

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benue State, Herman Hembe, has vowed to reclaim communities occupied by armed herdsmen and bandits, stating that Benue lands must be returned to their rightful owners.

Hembe, who emerged winner of the party’s governorship primary by what he described as an overwhelming margin of over 20,000 votes, said the current administration has abandoned the anti-open grazing law of the state allowing insecurity to escalate across the state.

Speaking to newsmen in Makurdi, Hembe while pledging to change the narrative around governance in Benue said: “When we get to office the first item on our agenda will be returning our lands to the people who own them and removing those who have come here to kill our people and take over our property.”

The former lawmaker said his administration would prioritize security, peace and transparent governance, insisting that the continuous attacks on Benue communities could no longer be tolerated.

He blamed the worsening insecurity on what he described as the failure of the present administration to implement the anti open grazing law enacted by the previous government.

He recalled that “The only policy statement made by the present administration at inauguration was that it would revisit the anti open grazing law, but since taking over they have abandoned it and allowed communities to be terrorized by bandits and terrorists who continue to kill our people.”

Hembe promised that when elected in 2027, his government would aggressively enforce policies aimed at protecting lives and farmlands while restoring confidence among displaced communities.

He also pledged to end political infighting and build a government focused on the welfare of the ordinary citizens rather than a government that is serving powerful political interests.

He said: “I intend to bring peace to the Benue communities, I intend to guarantee fiscal autonomy to our local government and intends to bring about transparency in the running of our affairs and remove all these lies that pervade our system.

“I also intend to remove the fights that have become a part of our system and to organize a government that is beneficial to the people and not a few individuals who believe they own the system while neglecting those they are supposed to be serving.”

Hembe appreciated the party leadership for conducting what he called a peaceful and historic primary election in the state, specifically the leadership team headed by Oker Jev and the acting chairman of the party, Samson Okwu, for their roles in the exercise.

He said: “The ADC is on a mission in Benue State and the party has always been poised to win.”