19/10/2026
SPEECH BY DR. JACOB MULYA
ON BEHALF OF ALL ADC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATES IN BENUE STATE
AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE ADC GOVERNORSHIP CAMPAIGN COUNCIL, MAKURDI
THEME: RESCUING NIGERIA, REBUILDING BENUE, RESTORING HOPE
19th October, 2026
PROTOCOLS
The National Chairman of our great party, Senator David Mark; The representative of our Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; our governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Herman Iorwase Hembe, and his running mate, Hon. John Abba; The Benue State ADC Leader Distinguished Senator Orker Jev, the State Chairman ,Hon. Samson Okwu, the leadership of the ADC across the state, distinguished candidates of our great party, Elders, women and youth leaders; gentlemen of the press; my fellow citizens of Benue State, ladies and gentlemen...ADC!!!
I stand before you on behalf of all ADC House of Representatives candidates in Benue State, fully conscious of the responsibility we bear and the expectations of Nigerians who desire purposeful leadership.
We are not here merely to criticize the present situation. We are here to offer solutions, articulate a credible alternative, and accept responsibility for building a government that works for the people.
Our mission is clear: rescue Nigeria from the current economic hardship, restore security, rebuild Benue, and make public service accountable to the people.
1. RESCUING NIGERIA: AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE
Nigerians are struggling with rising food prices, expensive transportation, unemployment, and the increasing costs of education, healthcare, and cost of doing business. Families are under pressure, small businesses are struggling, farmers face rising production costs and the purchasing power of citizens has completely diminished.
The APC-led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must answer for the impact of its economic policies on ordinary Nigerians. Economic reforms should be judged by their results: food affordability, employment, purchasing power, business growth, and improved living standards.
Our position is that economic reform must offer Nigerians a credible path from hardship to recovery.
An ADC-led government will pursue a practical economic agenda built on five priorities:
- Productive investment: Support agriculture, manufacturing, small businesses, and industries that create jobs and strengthen domestic production.
- Cost-of-living relief: Provide targeted production subsidy on fuel and allied products, review policies that increase the cost of essential goods and provide targeted support to vulnerable households.
- Employment: Expand vocational training, entrepreneurship, and private-sector opportunities, particularly for young people.
- Responsible public finance: Eradicate corruption, reduce wasteful expenditure, improve revenue administration, and direct public funds towards productive investment.
- Measurable results: Establish clear targets for job creation, food production, infrastructure, and household welfare, with regular public review and reporting.
Our goal is to produce an economy in which hard work offers a fair opportunity for a decent life and government policies encourage production, investment, and prosperity.
2. FUEL SUBSIDY: REDUCING THE BURDEN ON NIGERIANS
Fuel prices affect transportation, food distribution, agriculture, manufacturing, and virtually every aspect of economic activity. When transportation costs rise, the prices of food and other essential goods often follow.
The ADC will address this challenge through a transparent and financially responsible fuel-affordability policy anchored on a transparent production subsidy implementation.
We will pursue practical options, including targeted fuel-price support, affordable public transportation, assistance for farmers and essential-goods distribution, and measures to reduce supply-chain costs.
We will also promote domestic refining and a more efficient energy supply system. Any subsidy or support arrangement will have clear funding, transparent administration, effective safeguards, and measurable benefits for citizens.
Our objective is to protect ordinary Nigerians from excessive fuel and transportation costs without creating an unsustainable burden on public finances.
Our Economic reform will not become an excuse to abandon citizens to unbearable hardships as presently being witnessed. Economic relief programs will be practical, transparent, and capable of lasting.
3. SECURITY: PROTECTING LIVES AND RESTORING COMMUNITIES
No nation can prosper when its citizens cannot live, farm, trade, or travel safely.
Insecurity has disrupted livelihoods, displaced families, and undermined economic activities in affected parts of Nigeria, including Benue State.
An ADC government will make the protection of lives and property a central responsibility through stronger intelligence gathering, better coordination among security agencies, improved responses to credible threats, and greater protection for vulnerable communities.
Our security agenda will prioritize:
- Protecting farming communities, rural settlements, schools, and major transport routes.
- Strengthening intelligence sharing and cooperation among security agencies.
- Supporting displaced families with shelter, healthcare, education, and livelihood assistance.
- Rebuilding affected communities and supporting safe resettlement when conditions permit.
- Ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
- Addressing the poverty, unemployment, and rural neglect that can deepen community vulnerability.
Security agencies will have the necessary funding and support to perform their duties, while responsible authorities will be held accountable for results.
Our people will never have to choose between earning a living and staying alive. Security will restore not only peace, but also the freedom to work and live with dignity.
4. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY: EMPOWERING THE GRASSROOTS
Local government autonomy will translate into tangible developmentβnot merely constitutional provisions or political declarations.
The ADC will defend constitutional local government financial autonomy while promoting transparency, responsible administration, and effective public services.
We will implement measures that ensure local governments can fulfil their lawful responsibilities, including improving rural roads, primary healthcare, basic education, sanitation, markets, and agricultural extension services.
However, autonomy will go hand in hand with accountability. Local government budgets, allocations, expenditure, and project implementation will be open to public scrutiny. Independent audits and effective financial controls to prevent the misuse of public funds.
Our commitment is to produce local governments that have the capacity to serve their communities and the obligation to account for every public resource entrusted to them.
5. TIMELY BUDGETS AND ACCOUNTABLE PUBLIC SPENDING
A budget is a promise to the people. Its value depends on whether it is prepared on time, properly scrutinized, responsibly implemented, and subjected to effective oversight.
An ADC-led government will prioritize timely budget preparation and passage, realistic revenue projections, transparent procurement, and disciplined implementation.
Citizens will be able to establish what was approved, what was spent, which projects were completed, and what benefits were delivered.
We will strengthen legislative oversight and support independent audits to reduce waste, expose irregularities, and improve value for money.
Every naira of public money will be treated as a public trust and directed towards clearly defined public needs.
6. REBUILDING BENUE: DEVELOPMENT THAT REACHES EVERY COMMUNITY
My fellow citizens of Benue State, our people need security, agricultural recovery, employment, better infrastructure, and reliable public services.
Under the present government of Governor Hyacinth Alia, the people have a legitimate right to demand transparent information about government performance, including projects and expenditures.
Which projects have been completed? What has been spent? What improvements have been made to roads, schools, healthcare, agriculture, and employment?
These questions deserve clear, verifiable answers supported by project records, expenditure reports, and evidence of implementation.
Our alternative will be clear.
The ADC run government led by Rt. Hon. Herman Iorwase Hembe and Hon. John Abba, Benue will prioritize:
- Security provision, protect vulnerable communities, support displaced families, and restore livelihoods.
- Improve access to farm inputs, rural roads, storage, processing facilities, and markets.
- prioritize essential projects across all 23 local government areas.
- Provide quality education and health care. Improve the quality, accessibility, and reliability of public services.
- Expand opportunities for young people, women, farmers, and small businesses to prosper.
- Promote transparent budgets, publish project information, and make public expenditure easier to scrutinize.
Development will be fair and inclusive. No community will be neglected because of its location, political affiliation, ethnicity, or religion.
Our vision is a Benue where farmers can cultivate their land safely, businesses can grow, young people can find opportunities, and public spending produces visible improvements in people's lives.
7. OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS ADC LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES
As candidates seeking election to the House of Representatives, we understand that our responsibility extends beyond winning elections or occupying legislative seats.
We will make sound laws, represent our constituents faithfully, scrutinize public expenditure, and hold government accountable through the constitutional powers of the National Assembly.
Our priorities will include economic recovery, national security, agricultural development, employment, education, healthcare, and local government autonomy.
We will work constructively with relevant institutions to advance policies that benefit our constituencies, maintain regular engagement with our constituents, and communicate our legislative activities transparently.
We will speak not as an outsider demanding action from others, but as a member of the ADC team that will be prepared to defend our proposals and accept responsibility for its decisions.
We will explain what we intend to do, how we intend to do it, how our proposals will be funded, and how Nigerians can measure our performance.
That is the standard we have set for ourselves: clear policies, responsible decisions, measurable results, and accountability to the people.
CONCLUSION: A GOVERNING COMMITMENT, NOT JUST A CAMPAIGN SLOGAN
Distinguished leaders and fellow citizens, Nigeria and Benue need more than political rhetoric. They need sound economic management, affordable living, effective security, responsible fuel-price policies, autonomous and accountable local governments, timely budgets, public programmes that deliver results, among others.
The ADC will present a credible alternative built on realistic priorities, responsible financing, effective implementation, and transparent reporting.
As we approach the 2027 elections, our duty is to earn public confidence through the quality of our ideas and message, the integrity of our conduct, and our willingness to be held accountable.
As members of the ADC team, we accept that responsibility. We are prepared to turn our proposals into practical programmes and demonstrate that public office is a responsibility to serveβnot a privilege to be enjoyed.
Let us build a Nigeria where economic opportunity is within reach, communities are secure, and public resources serve the common good.
Let us build a Benue where development reaches the grassroots and no community is forgotten.
May God bless Benue State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.
