By: Titus Akor, Makurdi.

The 2027 Governorship Flag Bearer of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Tsehemba Shija on Wednesday disclosed that the Presidential Candidate of NDC Mr. Peter Obi will be visiting Benue State tomorrow Wednesday 11th November 2026.

Prof. Shija also revealed that the visit is partly humanitarian as the Presidential Flag Bearer plans to visit the Yelewata town which had witnessed a massacre of about 271 innocent Nigerians about a year ago and for whom he had been prevented to visit in a previous attempt.

The NDC Governorship Candidate further explained that the visit is also political as the NDC Presidenttial Candidate intends to hold a town-hall meeting with a cross-section of people in Benue State to propagate his message of redemption to the people of Benue State.

Shija made the disclosure on Tuesday during a Press conference in Makurdi to mark the visit of the NDC Presidenttial Candidate Mr. Peter Obi to the State on Wednesday.

“We are here to inform everybody that arrangements has now been made to receive our august visitor tomorrow. The Presidential Candidate of our Party plans to lay a wreath at the cenotaph of the 271 slain victims of the Yelewata along Lafia road, where he is also expected to condole with relations of the deceased.

” He is not visiting any government facility anywhere in the State, nor does he intend to visit any Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. His town-hall and meeting with the Benue people will be held at the Multi-purpose hall of the Mission House, Makurdi, behind the Benue Links head office, Wurukum.

“We cordially invite all citizens of Benue State, Groups and Organizations, Traditional Rulers, Civil Society Groups, Students, Women, Youths, Labour Unions and the general public to come and listen and interact with the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“It would be heart warming and a great pleasure for the good people of Benue to take their turn tomorrow to welcome and celebrate the man who would soon be President. Peter Obi is the new sensation town. He is the hero of our time as the mood of the nation now dictates. The man of honour and integrity. The man of transparency and principle. The man of ingenuity and creativity. The man who dares to do his politics differently. The man of courage who has demonstrably chosen to fight for the over 200 million Nigerians deliberated by poverty, corruption, unemployment, banditry, kidnapping, hunger, disease, ignorance and unhygienic environment.” Shija stressed

The NDC Governorship hopeful explained that history has shown that at every material time someone emerges to play the role of the anointed one. Pointing out the every generation might have their thinkers and performers, but none stands out like the anointed one.

“Everybody knows it. People talk about it. People criticize him, but he simply stands out amongst the lot. This is Mr. Peter Obi’s era. Nigerians in their millions are craving to identify with him. We in Benue State consider ourselves privileged to join in the bandwagon. He is a fine, honourable and detribalized Nigeria. He is a man of empathy, compassion and vision. Welcome to Benue state, Your Excellency Mr. Peter Obi.” Shija maintained.

Shija disclosed that While Benue NDC supporters are set and celebrating with much pleasure of having the Great Presidential visit to the State tomorrow, the party is reliably informed that the APC controlled government in Benue State is not happy that such a dazzling shinning political star would be in the State and obliterate everything that APC pretends to be doing in Benue.

“As expected, the State government has issued threats to stop the visit of Mr. Peter Obi specifically at the Yelewata community. This is certainly not a mere rumour. This very government sent thugs of the infamous ‘No Alia, No Benue’ to waylay, throw stones and stop President Peter Obi’s planned visit to Yelewata town two months ago. It was a monumental national disgrace and a display of immaturity. You cannot stop a moving train. No individual has the capacity to halt the will of God in the forthcoming general election, which is providentially tilting towards the emergence of Mr. Peter Obi and Alhaji Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as President and Vice-President.

“The government must be cautioned to shelve it diabolical plan to disrupt the visit of Mr. Peter Obi in Benue State. WE call on all law enforcement agents to Mr. Peter Obi and his supporters as they carry out their legitimate activities in Makurdi and Yelewata tomorrow.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) will not yield to any blackmail or intimidation, neither are we going to succumb to the temptation to take laws into our hands.

” The Police and the DSS are already aware of the militant groups floated by this Government to hurt down and inflict violence other supporters of individuals and political parties. We call on them to do their job. But be lest assured nobody will shrink from our duty as a political party set to win election in the next 3 months.

“My campaign message to the people of Benue State is captured as a Rescue and Reset Agenda, owing to the insecurity and economic backwardness of the people, inspite of their massive endowments in material and human resources.” Shija disclosed.

According to him, the State needs to be rescued because it is facing an existential threat, where Hundreds of of the State population are being butchered everyday by invading nomadic herdsmen.

“Large swathes of ungoverned spaces are being created every week as murderous terrorist herdsmen and illegal miners take over their ancestral lands. Scores of schools, hospitals and markets have ceased to exist in at least nine local governments of the state. Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps have multiplied in at least one third of the state, housing over six hundred thousand inmates living in dirty and unhygienic conditions.

“Secondly, Benue State needs to be reset on the path of economic development and prosperity through a well crafted plan that covers large scale agriculture, solid mineral extraction, cultural and wildlife tourism and the provision of critical infrastructures for transportation on water, air, rail and road.

“As you may have known, Benue State is located in North-Central Nigeria and is home to about seventeen solid mineral deposits in large commercial quantity. These are limestone, gold, lithium, salt, lead-zinc, manganite, anhydrite, coal, clay, glass and, kaolin, calcite, gypsum, bauxite and bitumen. Oil and natural gas have also been discovered.

“These raw materials are mostly illegally mined. Our government hopes to seek partnership with experts and investors to help extract process and sell both at the international market and as raw materials for factories at home. The River Benue which is the second biggest river in Nigeria, gives Benue its name. It flows from the Cameroons through Adamawa and six other States for 1,400 kilometers before joining the Niger at Lokoja. While the river Katsina-Ala which is exclusively ours flows from the lower Cameroonian Mountains for 320 kilometers and joins the River Benue within the State.” Shija disclosed.