African Democratic Congress (ADC) 2027 governorship candidate in Benue State, Rt. Hon. Herman Hembe, has kicked against the exclusion of the Tiv ethnic group from the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This reaction trails the All Progressives Congress, Saturday release of the complete membership list of its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council without any member of the Tiv race, the highest in the Middle and the fourth most populated ethnic group in Nigeria.

Only three people from Benue State made the list. The three are former President of the Senate, Ameh Ebute; former Deputy Governor of the state, Steven Lawani; and Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi.

According to a statement issued by the Hembe/Abba Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, signed by Sir Peter Vande, which was made available to newsmen on Sunday night, said the development was a deliberate political decision.

The statement read in part:

“The recent release of the presidential campaign council list by the Tinubu APC has exposed a deliberate and calculated exclusion of the Tiv people from national reckoning.

“This is not an oversight. This is a message, and every Tiv person, every Benue son and daughter, must read it correctly. There will be no room for the Tiv if, God forbid, Tinubu is declared winner.”

The organisation said the Tiv people had contributed significantly to Nigeria’s unity and development and should not be treated as an afterthought in national political calculations.

“We are the fourth-largest tribe in Nigeria. We have shed blood for the unity of this country. We are, and have always been, a beautiful tribe that deserves to be courted diligently, not a bystander invited only when convenient.”

The statement, however, said the Tiv people should not be likened to someone seeking attention where none existed, stressing that the Tiv as one of Nigeria’s major ethnic groups deserved to be deliberately courted in the nation’s political process.

It further argued that the exclusion of Tiv APC members from the presidential campaign council should concern every serious-minded Tiv person and questioned whether the Tiv people could expect adequate representation in government if President Bola Tinubu wins the 2027 election.

The organisation said its governorship candidate, Herman Hembe, remained committed to the welfare, security and political interests of the people of Benue, adding that fair representation should be a major consideration in determining political loyalty and electoral support.

Hembe used the opportunity to urge the people of Benue to back the African Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who he described as a politician familiar with the concerns of the Tiv people.

The organisation said an Atiku/Amaechi administration would restore the Tiv and Benue people to what it described as their rightful position in Nigeria’s political affairs, while also claiming that Atiku had better plans for improving the lives of Nigerians.

Similarly, the All Progressives Congress in the state has decried the exclusion of the Tiv ethnic group from the party’s presidential campaign council.

Daniel Ihomun, the state publicity secretary of the Agada-led faction loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who spoke to our correspondent on Monday, argued that the majority of members who made the list, especially those from the North-Central, were Muslims.

He said, “We, the party in the state, are not happy with the list released in the President Bola Tinubu Campaign Council because Tiv people are excluded from the list.

“There are so many Muslims on the list, especially in North-Central. The former Director-General of the Tinubu campaign in 2023 was not on the list. We Christians are not happy; we have been shortchanged.

“With the Tiv population in Nigeria, you cannot neglect us like that. We contributed to Tinubu’s victory in 2023; it’s like we have been neglected.

“With what has happened, the President is making the job (campaign) difficult for us.”

Political parties and presidential and National Assembly candidates on Tuesday signed the first National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections, pledging to shun violence, hate speech, misinformation and personal attacks during campaigns.

The ceremony, organized by the National Peace Committee in partnership with The Kukah Centre, was held in Abuja barely 24 hours before the statutory commencement of public campaigns on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

Those who signed included President Bola Tinubu, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Peter Obi; Social Democratic Party candidate Adewole Adebayo; and African Action Congress candidate Omoyele Sowore.

Also present were APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda; PRP presidential candidate Donald Duke; Labour Party’s Chibuzor Okereke; Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin; PRP National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan; and IGP Olatunji Disu.

Notable absentees were ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and APM candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Chairman of the National Peace Committee, was represented by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Agwai.

Speaking through Akume, President Tinubu urged parties to prioritize national interest and campaign on ideas, not ethnicity or religion.
“Signing this peace accord is a solemn pledge to the Nigerian people that we, as leaders, will put the nation’s interests above personal or partisan ambitions,” he said.

The President said the APC rejects “violence, hate speech, the spread of misinformation, including through artificial intelligence, and all forms of incitement, especially via social media,” and called for peaceful, transparent elections.

INEC Chairman Prof Amupitan described the accord as an effort to define “the ethical boundaries of their contest” before campaigns begin. He warned of an “alarming resurgence” of hate speech, toxic polarization and AI-driven misinformation.

“Electoral contests in a constitutional democracy are not total wars; they are competitive job interviews before the electorate. Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions,” Amupitan said.

He challenged candidates to focus on the economy, security, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion. The INEC boss also disclosed that the commission will deploy about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units for the 2027 polls.

“Leadership attained at the expense of public peace, institutional integrity, or human life is a hollow victory,” he warned.

According to INEC’s revised timetable, presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.

The National Peace Committee said it has facilitated 30 peace accords since 2015 and established faith-based peace structures in 23 states to support peaceful elections.

Vice-Presidential Candidate of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, says his decision to be running mate to Mr Peter Obi in the 2027 election is for national balance, equity and democratic change.

Kwankwaso said this when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja on Sunday.

He explained that his experience from the 2023 election had helped him understand Obi better and that he was convinced that both of them could work together in the interest of the country.

Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, said the decision was also influenced by the need to allow the South to retain the presidency for another term after the completion of an eight-year tenure by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“People learn every day and that is why experience is very important. In 2023, we attempted to work together and at that particular point, I knew little about Peter Obi.

“But over these last four years, I was able to learn a lot and realised that Peter is somebody that I could work together with,” he said.

He said that the decision was reached after consultations with members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Obidient Movement.

He said that the groups believed that the country needed a balanced ticket capable of attracting support from both the North and the South.

Kwankwaso said the security challenges confronting the country, alongside declining agricultural productivity and deteriorating infrastructure further strengthened his resolve to support a political arrangement capable of bringing democratic change.

He said the economic hardship had particularly affected farmers, especially in Northern Nigeria, where agricultural production had become increasingly difficult and unprofitable.

The former Defence Minister said the dilapidation of infrastructure across the country, except in some areas such as Lagos, was another reason for accepting to pair with Obi.

He said the current situation required the kind of democratic change that Nigerians sought in 2015, adding that the need for such change was now greater.

Kwankwaso said the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket would provide a combination of regional balance, competence and credibility.

“Nobody, no ticket can beat our own in terms of credibility, in terms of capacity and of course, in terms of love for the country; even in terms of empathy for the poor that are suffering across the country today,” he said.

He explained that agreeing to serve as vice-president was not a setback for him, despite his extensive political experience, including serving as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, governor, minister and senator.

“I have never been the vice-president. I think it is a step forward despite all the things you counted,” he said.

Kwankwaso said his decision was based on a broader national interest rather than personal ambition, stressing that public office should primarily be viewed as an opportunity to serve.

“To me, being in government is to serve. I don’t have to be president. I don’t have to even be vice-president. These are things that are in the hands of Almighty Allah.

“But the fact remains that the situation, as it is today, one has to look at it beyond your humble self,” he said.

He said the agreement with Obi was for the South to produce the president for one term, after which the political arrangement would return to the North.

Kwankwaso cited historical examples of political leaders who had accepted positions below what they could have attained, including Sir Ahmadu Bello, who chose to remain Premier of Northern Nigeria rather than becoming Prime Minister.

He also said Nigerians should understand that service could be rendered at different levels, including as councillor, local government chairman, legislator, governor, minister, vice-president or president.

According to him, political leaders should be prepared to serve wherever they are needed, rather than considering certain offices beneath them.

He dismissed claims by political opponents that his political engagements with the All Progressives Congress (APC) or other parties were contingent on securing either the presidential or vice-presidential ticket.

Kwankwaso said discussions he held with President Bola Tinubu after the 2023 election were about working together and not about abandoning NNPP or securing a particular position.

He said he had previously played a major role in the APC’s electoral victory, particularly through the votes recorded in Kano in 2015, but became disappointed with the party’s leadership after the election.

The former governor said his confidence in the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance was strengthened by what he described as Obi’s commitment to fairness, justice and national unity.

He said the arrangement would also ensure that the North would not be disadvantaged, stressing that the one-term understanding was important in securing the confidence of his supporters.

Kwankwaso said he was confident that Obi would respect the agreement and work with him as a partner rather than treat the vice-president as a “spare tyre.”

He said his experience as deputy speaker, minister and governor had taught him the importance of allowing deputies to function effectively.

According to him, a president or governor who gives his deputy meaningful responsibilities ultimately strengthens the government because the success of the deputy also benefits the principal.

He said he was therefore comfortable with the proposed arrangement and had confidence that Obi would allow him to contribute meaningfully to governance.

Kwankwaso said the alliance would prioritise competence in the appointment of ministers and other officials, with power shared according to the needs of the country rather than for political patronage.

“Power will be shared according to the needs of the country. We should not be in a hurry to go and take anybody on the streets or anybody we remember.

“We will make sure that we have competent people because from our experience, the president and vice-president cannot do it alone,” he said.

The former governor said an NDC administration would need technocrats, professionals and experienced politicians capable of addressing Nigeria’s complex challenges.

Source: NAN