The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has urged Benue people to come out en masse and support President Bola Tinubu in the Saturday All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries.

Mr Akume made the call on Friday at Makurdi Airport, where he addressed party supporters and stakeholders ahead of the exercise.

The SGF said he was in the state to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu, expressing confidence that the president would secure overwhelming support from Benue people during the primaries and the 2027 general elections.

According to him, the president’s performance in office, commitment to patriotism and inclusive style of governancecontinued to endear him to Nigerians.

“In every democracy, there must always be opposing voices, but the truth is that the president’s work is remarkable.

“His performance has been approved by most Nigerians, and we are very sure that come tomorrow, our people are going to vote massively for Mr President,” he said.

Mr Akume said he was not in the state during the previous election and therefore could not make detailed comments on reports of diversion of election materials and other alleged irregularities.

He, however, expressed confidence that the forthcoming exercise would be transparent and credible.

“The previous election is gone, but this election I believe is going to be different. I strongly believe there will be no diversion of materials, and this is very important.

“I have seen elections before, and I have been in this game for a very long time since 1998, so I am always very sure of what I say,” he stated.

The SGF further appealed to members of the APC in Benue State to remain united and avoid divisions within the party.

He said that as one of the founding fathers of the APC, he was committed to ensuring that the party remained one united family.

“We do not want factions in our party. We want the APC to remain a united family as we intended it to be from the beginning,” he added.

Mr Akume expressed optimism that Mr Tinubu would return to the Presidential Villa in 2027, noting that Nigerians appreciated the resilience and determination of the administration.

“I believe so much in our people. They are resilient; they know what is right, and at the appropriate time they will make their decision known,” he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the people of Benue were satisfied with the policies and leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Utsev expressed confidence that Benue people would once again turn out massively to support Mr Tinubu during the APC presidential primaries, even beyond the level recorded in the 2023 elections.

He urged APC supporters to continue to embrace peace and unity, stressing that the party remained one family despite differences.

“Politics is a game. We are a family. No matter the grievances, we have to come to the table, sit together, agree and move forward.

“So even if there are challenges, we are going to sit together and see how we can move forward.

“So, I am calling on the people of Benue State and those in other parts of Nigeria to continue to support the President to succeed,” he said.

(NAN)