Politics
Labour Party Unveils Juliana Obetta as Benue Deputy Governorship Candidate for 2027
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/jgjju-876x600.jpg&description=Labour Party Unveils Juliana Obetta as Benue Deputy Governorship Candidate for 2027', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/jgjju-876x600.jpg&description=Labour Party Unveils Juliana Obetta as Benue Deputy Governorship Candidate for 2027', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The Labour Party (LP) in Benue State has unveiled former Okpokwu Local Government Chairman, Juliana Obetta, as the running mate for Mathias Byuan, the party Governorship candidate in the 2027 governorship election.
Mrs. Obetta was officially presented on Monday at the party’s state secretariat in Makurdi by the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Peter Agbese.
Byuan, a former Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Director, had emerged Labour Party’s governorship candidate through affirmation during the Labour Party’s primary election held on Saturday.
Speaking shortly after the presentation, Byuan expressed confidence in the party’s chances in the 2027 election, stating that the people of Benue had already signaled their desire for a change in leadership.
He called on residents of the state to support the Labour Party at the polls, promising to transform Benue from what he described as a predominantly civil service-driven economy into an industrialized and economically viable state.
The governorship candidate also criticized the current administration, arguing that despite significant federal allocations and interventions to the state under the administration of Bola Tinubu, the impact on the lives of ordinary citizens remains limited.
According to him, his administration would prioritize grassroots development and local economic growth by investing resources within the state to create employment opportunities for young people.
Byuan further pledged to improve access to education, saying his government would work towards ensuring that a majority of schools, about 60 percent, in the state provide free education to ease the financial burden on parents who usually would have to sell goats and yams to pay school fees.
He explained that the decision to pick Obetta as his running mate followed extensive consultations within the party, adding that the choice was aimed at promoting inclusion and giving women a stronger voice in governance.
“We have chosen a woman who understands grassroots politics and the challenges facing ordinary people. This is part of our commitment to ensuring that women are adequately represented in government,” he said.
In her acceptance speech, Juliana Obetta described her nomination as a victory for women across Benue State, pledging to use the opportunity to advocate for greater female participation in politics and governance.
The former council chairman, who made history as the first woman elected chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area between 2012 and 2014, said women remain a critical voting bloc and deserve greater recognition in leadership positions.
She lamented a situation where women actively participate in elections but are often sidelined after governments are formed, describing her emergence as a significant step towards correcting that imbalance.
“This nomination is for the women of Benue State. Women constitute a substantial percentage of the voting population, yet they are often excluded from key decision-making positions after elections,” she said.
Obetta pledged to work closely with the wife of the governorship candidate and other stakeholders to promote policies that would advance women’s interests and ensure the realization of the 35 percent affirmative action target for women in governance.
Also speaking, the Benue State Chairman of the Labour Party, William Okefe, commended the party’s national leadership under Nenadi Usman for supporting the emergence of the party’s candidates.
Okefe expressed optimism that the Byuan-Obetta ticket would provide the leadership needed to reposition Benue State and pledged the commitment of party members to work towards securing victory in the 2027 governorship election.
In a rare political development that has sent shockwaves through Sokoto State, the Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, Isa Kalanjeni, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and simultaneously stepped down from his elected position as council chairman.
The twin resignations were contained in two separate letters made available to journalists in Sokoto on Tuesday.
In a letter dated May 5, 2026, addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Kalanjeni Ward in Tangaza Local Government, Kalanjeni announced his immediate departure from the ruling party.
I wish to formally inform you of my decision to resign from the APC with immediate effect. This decision is borne out of purely personal reasons. I appreciate the opportunity given to me to be part of the party.”
Resignation from Office
In a separate letter dated July 7, 2026, addressed to the Secretary to the Sokoto State Government and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kalanjeni formally resigned as Executive Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area with immediate effect.
Please accept this letter as formal notification that I am resigning from my position as Executive Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, effective immediately from today.”
Reasons Cited
The embattled chairman explained that the “difficult decision” followed extensive consultations with family, political associates, and community stakeholders.
He also cited administrative constraints, stating:
“Due to recent unavoidable administrative challenges, I find that I am no longer able to execute the responsibilities of this office to the high standard expected of me.”
Despite the abrupt exit, Kalanjeni expressed appreciation to the people of the council:
“I am incredibly grateful to the electorate, the council’s legislative arm, and the entire staff for the privilege and opportunity to serve our people. I wish the incoming leadership and administration continued success.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is on course to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) July 11 deadline for the submission of its presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.
A senior member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the upload of candidates’ details was at an advanced stage, with the details of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate expected to be uploaded by the middle of the week.
“We are progressing smoothly with the uploading of the details of our National Assembly candidates,” the source said.
“We hope that on or before next Wednesday, we shall upload the details of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate. We are completely sure of meeting the July 11 deadline for uploading all our candidates on the INEC portal.”
Checks at the APC’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department at the Muhammadu Buhari House headquarters in Abuja on Sunday indicated that the party’s technical team has continued to interface with the INEC portal without disruption.
Sources in the department said the details of most principal officers of the 10th National Assembly and several serving lawmakers had already been uploaded.
They added that the details of four serving governors — AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State — had also been uploaded to the INEC portal.
The race to meet the deadline followed a review of the party’s primary elections. The APC recently submitted a revised list of candidates to INEC after the NWC removed six senatorial and 19 House of Representatives candidates who had earlier emerged from the party’s May primaries.
The changes affected constituencies in Abia, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi, Ondo, Kaduna, Niger and Kwara states and followed the recommendations of the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee.
The revised list was forwarded to INEC in a letter jointly signed by APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the party received more than 700 petitions from aggrieved members after the conclusion of its primaries.
“The party received over 700 petitions from aggrieved members following the conclusion of our shadow elections,” Morka said.
He declined to state when the final list of candidates would be released publicly, saying the party’s immediate focus was to ensure compliance with INEC’s nomination requirements.
“Our absolute immediate priority right now is ensuring that our designated candidates properly complete and return their Form EC9 nomination documents for upload ahead of the strict INEC deadline, rather than focusing on the public release of the list,” he said.
Despite the changes made by the appeal committee, the final list submitted to INEC retained many of the party’s leading figures, including four serving governors who secured the party’s tickets to contest Senate seats in the 2027 general elections.
Lawmaker representing the Nasarawa South Senatorial District, Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, has officially resigned from the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
His resignation was contained in a letter dated July 2, 2026, and addressed to the ADC Ward Chairman in Galadimawa Ward, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The lawmaker attributed his decision to the party’s lingering internal crisis and protracted legal disputes at the national level.
In the letter sighted on Sunday by our correspondent, Onawo said his resignation takes effect from June 15, 2026.
The lawmaker said the persistent internal wrangling and legal battles within the party made it difficult for him to pursue the developmental mandate entrusted to him by the electorate.
“It is driven by my firm belief that the prevailing circumstances within the current party structure and the endless legal battles it is currently embroiled in no longer provide the cohesion, support, and enabling environment for me to focus squarely on effectively representing my constituents and to fully realise the developmental and progressive mandate they entrusted to me,” he said.
Plateau in panic mode as nine members of same family 2 month old baby killed in renewed attack
Nigeria’s crude oil output hits 74-month high, beats OPEC quota
At least 27 killed, eight critically injured in Bangkok bar fire
-
Entertainment21 hours agoFinally, Peller, Jarvis pick date for white wedding
-
News21 hours agoNDLEA nabs South African lady with 3-year-old son as cover to traffic heroin(Photos)
-
Sports20 hours agoFIFA Rubbishes Claims of Referee Bias in Argentina’s World Cup Victory Over Egypt
-
News16 hours agoIranian Newspaper lists Trump, European leaders as alleged revenge targets
-
News21 hours agoNDLEA arrests South African lady with 3-yr-old son as cover up to traffic heroin
-
News20 hours agoNotorious bandit kingpin Sani Yellow eliminated in Zamfara
-
News20 hours agoBreaking: Dozens feared killed as suspected herdsmen again launch deadly attack in Benue
-
News20 hours agoDANGEROUS DEVT: Bandits abduct corpse of FRSC Cmdr, mourners, demand almost half a billion Naira ransom