The Labour Party (LP) has officially unveiled Hon. Juliana Obetta as its deputy governorship candidate for the 2027 Benue State gubernatorial election, marking a historic milestone as the first woman to be nominated for the position by any political party in the state. The announcement was made during a formal presentation in Makurdi on Monday, where LP governorship candidate Dr. Matthias Byuan introduced Obetta to party members and supporters in a well-attended ceremony. The event underscored the party’s commitment to gender inclusion and women’s participation in governance, with Obetta’s nomination seen as a significant step toward empowering women in political leadership.
Dr. Byuan, a former Executive Director (Finance and Accounts) of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), emerged as the LP’s consensus governorship candidate following a statewide affirmation exercise on Saturday. He secured 231,124 votes from delegates across Benue State’s 23 local government areas, solidifying his position as the party’s flagbearer. Speaking at the unveiling, Byuan emphasized that Obetta’s selection was the result of thorough consultations with party leaders and stakeholders, and that she was the most suitable candidate for the deputy governorship role. He described the nomination as a deliberate move to promote gender equity in governance and ensure women’s voices are heard at the highest levels of leadership.
“This is the first time a woman will emerge as a deputy governorship candidate in Benue State. We are a party that believes women must have a voice in government,” Byuan stated. He outlined a vision for transforming Benue through industrialisation, free education, improved security, and sectoral reforms. “When we take over the leadership of Benue State in 2027, we will create jobs by transforming the state from a civil service-driven economy to an industrialised one. We will introduce free education at all levels, tackle insecurity decisively and overhaul all sectors to ensure Benue occupies its rightful place among the leading states in Nigeria,” he added.
In her acceptance speech, Obetta dedicated her nomination to women across Benue, calling it a landmark moment for gender inclusion. “This nomination, I accept wholeheartedly, and I want to say to the women of Benue that this nomination is for you,” she said. She highlighted the irony of women constituting over 80 per cent of the state’s voting population yet being sidelined after elections. Obetta, who served as the first female chairman of Okpokwu Local Government from 2012 to 2014, pledged to advocate for women’s interests and push for the 35 per cent affirmative action long demanded by women’s groups.
Hon. Philip Agbese, member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency and Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, described the LP’s primaries as peaceful and transparent, calling them the best conducted among all political parties in the state. The Labour Party’s Benue South senatorial candidate, Hon. Samuel Onuh, and state chairman Mr. William Okefe Ochonu, also commended the party’s national leadership, particularly National Chairman Senator Nenadi Usman, for ensuring a smooth candidate selection process. They expressed confidence that the Byuan-Obetta ticket has positioned the LP as a strong contender in the 2027 governorship race, with Obetta’s nomination enjoying broad support across the state.
As Benue State prepares for the 2027 elections, the emergence of Obetta as the first female deputy governorship candidate signals a potential shift in political dynamics, with gender inclusion taking center stage in the state’s governance discourse.
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