September 19, (THEWILL) – Dr Mathias Byuan is a business man, politician and philanthropist who owns Byuan Resources, a conglomorate with its headquarters In Abuja.
Byuan ran for the Benue North-East Senatorial election in 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but he was unsuccessful. He ran for the same position under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2019.
In an interactive session with journalists in Makurdi, he explained why he is joining the governorship race, saying he is out to add value to governance in Benue State.
“Benue State needs total rehabilitation and a serious-minded person as a leader to salvage it. If given the mandate to rule the state, I will not just blow the sirens as governor but bring unprecedented development to the good people of the state,” he said.
Byuan stated further, “Let me assure you that Benue has all it takes to grow economically. I have a serious agenda for the state, which will be unveiled in my blueprint on the official flag-off of my campaign that will come up in no distant time.”
Speaking on the need to alleviate poverty, hunger and starvation in the state, the governorship aspirant said, “A lot will be done in that regard, I shall not only do physical infrastructure, but also pay attention to what we call “stomach infrastructure” as well”
“I have never in my political life enjoyed politics money, as insinuated in certain quarters. Instead, I have over the years pulled my personal resources to invest into politics by way of assisting people individually and by embarking on projects that will impact positively on the people. It is the same thing I shall be doing if graciously given the nod by Benue people to pilot their affairs as governor. “
Goodwill messages were delivered at the event by those who came to identify with the aspirant. An APC chieftain, journalist and former Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel in BenueState, Mr Tersoo Kula, acknowledged that Byuan was the right person to govern the state in 2023, having proven to be a pacesetter and a philanthropist.
Kula noted with pleasure the glamour the aspirant brought into politics in the state as one who blazed the trail in terms of distributing vehicles to his campaign coordinators, while he vied for a seat in the Senate in 2011.
The Acting Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Benue State Chapter, Comrade Martins Kajo, assured Byuan of adequate publicity to enable him fulfill his dreams.
The APC Publicity Secretary in Benue State, James Ornguga, appealed to the aspirant not to renege on his campaign promises when he emerges victorious in the governorship race. He added that such would go a long way in giving the party a good image in the state.
According to the APC spokesman, the governorship aspirant had given the APC a sense of belonging, having appointed one of its members, Mr Alfred Berger, to head his campaign’s media directorate. According to him, it is an indication that he will carry them along in governance as well.
In separate comments, Messrs Terungwa Nunde, Dan Morgan Ihonun and Alechenu AB, who spoke on behalf of zones A, B and C, respectively, promised their unflinching support for Byuan’s governorship ambition.
On his part, Mr. Jacob Jande pointed out some factors that qualified the senator for Benue’s number one seat, revealing that the aspirant was also favoured by zoning. “He doesn’t give up easily and he hails from the same area with a former governor of the state, late Reverend Father Moses Adasu, who was a monumental achiever within a very short space of time,” he said.
A well grounded politician, Byuan, according to political observers, has never been a push-over in any electoral contest. He battled the then incumbent Chairman of the PDP, Barnabas Gemade almost to the ground before tables were said to have turned against him through “national connections” in 2011.
His entrance in the governorship race, pundits claim, will alter the political permutations and calculations as one who, it is widely held, has a financial war chest to execute his ambition.
Relatively young, Byuan’s’ strength largely lies in his generosity. His ability to oil his campaign each time has always been his major selling point.
Political analysts and watchers of political developments in Benue believe that if Byuan is handed the APC governorship ticket by 2023, the party’s chances of crushing the ruling PDP in the state would have been greatly brightened.
