The 2027 governorship bid of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Benue State, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, received a major boost on Thursday as the Jukun Awanu Elders Forum endorsed his candidacy and pledged to mobilise massive support for his election.
The elders announced their position when a delegation of the forum paid a solidarity visit to Aondoakaa at his residence in Makurdi, the state capital.
Leader of the delegation, Innocent Abayilo, said the Jukun community had closely followed political developments in Benue and concluded that Aondoakaa was the best candidate to lead the state from 2027.
Abayilo said the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice had demonstrated the capacity to provide leadership beyond ethnic, religious and political considerations, describing him as a candidate capable of promoting inclusiveness and unity across the state.
He said the forum’s support went beyond a mere endorsement, stressing that the elders were prepared to mobilise the Jukun community for Aondoakaa’s emergence as governor.
Responding, Aondoakaa thanked the elders for their solidarity and confidence in his candidacy, assuring them that his administration would guarantee equal treatment and a strong sense of belonging for the Jukun people.
The PDP candidate said Jukuns living in Benue would be regarded as indigenes of the state rather than visitors under his administration.
“If you support me to win, I will not disappoint you. I will work with you and every other ethnic group in the interest of our dear state,” he said.
Aondoakaa also identified security and the restoration of peace as key priorities of his campaign, promising to create conditions that would enable farmers to return to their ancestral lands and businesses to operate without fear.
He pledged to pursue policies that would strengthen harmony among Benue’s diverse ethnic communities, arguing that meaningful development could only be achieved in an atmosphere of security, unity and mutual trust.
The endorsement comes as Aondoakaa intensifies consultations with communities and interest groups across Benue ahead of the 2027 governorship election. His campaign has increasingly focused on inclusion, security and the restoration of peaceful coexistence among the state’s various ethnic groups.
