ADC Primary: Hembe Vows to Reclaim Occupied Communities, Restore Local Government Autonomy

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benue State, Herman Hembe, has pledged to restore peace, guarantee local government autonomy and address insecurity if elected governor in 2027.

Rt. Hon. Herman Hembe polled 46,526 votes to defeat his closest rival, Peter Adejoh, who secured 31,990 votes in the recently concluded ADC Governorship Primaries in Benue State, while Mr. Joseph Waya came third with 26,916 votes.
Reacting to his victory at the party’s primary election, which he described as an overwhelming mandate with a margin of over 20,000 votes ahead of his opponents, the former lawmaker expressed appreciation to the party leadership and delegates for the confidence reposed in him.
He particularly commended the state leadership of the party led by Oker Jev, chairman of the party’s leadership team and caretaker chairman, alongside the acting chairman, Samson Okwu, for conducting what he called a “fantastic history-making primary.”
According to him, “The ADC is a party that is on a mission and in Benue State, the party has always been poised to win.
“I am excited about the primaries and the outcome, and I am thankful to all those who supported me to emerge in this manner. The mandate was overwhelming and I want to assure the people who nominated me that I will not let them down.”
Speaking on his plans for the state, the former lawmaker stated that his administration would prioritise peace building, transparency and good governance.
“I intend to bring peace to Benue communities, guarantee fiscal autonomy for local governments and ensure transparency in the running of government affairs,” he said.
Hembe also pledged to put an end to political infighting and what he described as governance that favours only a select few at the expense of the larger population.
“We will organize a government that will be beneficial to the people and not just a few individuals who think they own the system while neglecting those they are supposed to serve,” he stated.
On insecurity and the implementation of the anti-open grazing law in the state, Hembe accused the current administration of abandoning the policy and failing to protect communities from attacks.
According to him, the anti-open grazing law enacted by the previous administration has not been effectively implemented by the present government.
“The only policy statement made at the inauguration of the present administration 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,” he alleged.
Hembe vowed that if elected governor, his administration would prioritise reclaiming lands occupied by armed groups.
“The first item on our agenda will be returning lands to the people who own them and removing those who have come to kill our people and take over our property,” he declared.