2027: Benue Christian Elders present ex-NCPC boss as consensus candidate

2026-03-17 - 19:42

By Peter Duru, Makurdi The Council of Christian Elders in Benue State has presented the former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC, Dr. Tor Uja as its preferred governorship candidate in the coming 2027 general elections. The presentation, which took place before a large gathering of church leaders and political actors, was led by Archbishop Benjamin Kurudu on behalf of the Chairman of the Council, Rt. Rev. Nathan Nyom. Archbishop Kurudu, who formally introduced Dr. Uja to the large gathering, described him as the candidate of the Christian community and urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept and support his aspiration. “We are giving you our own to endorse. On behalf of the Christian community in Benue State, I present our governorship candidate to you, Dr. Tor Uja. Prepare him and let him climb to the place we want him to be, Archbishop Kurudu declared. The cleric, alongside other ministers, offered prayers and performed a symbolic anointing of the aspirant, underscoring what they described as a spiritual mandate for leadership. Responding on behalf of the PDP, the State Organising Secretary, Caleb Aba, formally received Dr. Uja into the party, assuring him of fairness in the process leading to the party’s primaries. “On behalf of the Benue State PDP under the leadership of former Governor Samuel Ortom, the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, and the State Working Committee, we receive your anointed with two hands,” Aba said. He added that the party would provide “a free and fair playing ground” for all aspirants, emphasizing that the emergence of a candidate would follow due process through direct primaries. Aba also urged supporters of Dr. Uja to participate actively in the party’s ongoing e-registration exercise, saying “It behoves on you to follow him into the party so you can be involved in the processes required to make him a candidate. If you are not registered, you cannot participate,” he said. In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Uja expressed gratitude to God and the people of Benue, assuring them that his leadership would bring transformative change to the state. “I have a clear roadmap of how to take Benue to where it ought to be. You will not be disappointed,” he assured. The former Executive Secretary of the NCPC decried what he described as systemic failures affecting the state, particularly insecurity and the proliferation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. “One of the worst things that has happened to Benue is the emergence of IDP camps. I assure you that within six months of my administration, there will be no IDP camp in Benue State,” he assured. Dr. Uja further identified insecurity and poverty as major challenges confronting the people, pledging decisive action to address them. “These must be brought to an end,” he stressed. He also criticized the current administration, alleging a lack of responsiveness to the plight of citizens and assured of a leadership anchored on competence, capacity, and willingness to serve. According to him, “The seat of governance in Benue has been vacant in practical terms, as there has been no decisive voice or action in the face of ongoing challenges.” Speaking earlier, Pastor David Ogbole, Senior Pastor of True Life Impact Ministry, explained that the endorsement of Dr. Uja followed months of prayers and consultations across the state. “For the past six months, the body of Christ across the 23 Local Government Areas has been praying and seeking God’s direction. We found in Dr. Tor Uja a blend of capacity, experience, compassion, and innovation,” he said. He noted that the gathering marked the formal acceptance of Dr. Uja’s candidacy and his adoption of the PDP as his political platform for the 2027 race. The event attracted a large turnout of Christian leaders, including bishops, archbishops, general overseers, and pastors from across the state, which he said reflected broad-based religious support for the aspirant. Also in attendance were key PDP stakeholders, including State Youth Leader David Mzer, the Makurdi Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Paul Tion and State Vice Chairman for Zone ‘A’, Abraham Waroh, among others.