A section of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign office in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has been pulled down by the Benue State Urban Development Board.
The building, which served as the state headquarters of the Ahmed Bola Tinubu Support Group, reportedly had its perimeter fence demolished. The office had only recently been commissioned amid a large turnout of supporters from Benue and other North Central states.
The event was coordinated by Dr. Mathias Terwase Byuan, Executive Director of Housing, Finance, and Accounts at the Federal Housing Authority, who also doubles as the National Coordinator of the support group.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Dr. Tarnongo Simon, Director-General of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu Support Group, condemned the demolition, insisting the structure had a valid Certificate of Occupancy and an approved building plan from the same board that carried out the exercise.
“We arrived at the office this morning only to find the building being demolished without any notice. This is completely uncalled for,” he said. “However, this will not shake our loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or our commitment to the North Central agenda.”
Reacting to the development, the Benue State Government denied any political involvement in the incident.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kula Terso, the government clarified that the demolition was part of an ongoing, legally approved exercise linked to the dualisation of the Makurdi–Enugu highway — a federal infrastructure project executed with the state’s cooperation.
According to the statement, the government is removing structures built on designated road setbacks and rights of way to pave the way for road expansion and urban renewal.
“Owners of approved buildings have been compensated accordingly,” the statement read. “However, illegal structures or those lacking necessary approvals were notified and asked to vacate the premises. Attempts to politicize this lawful process by rebranding affected properties or linking them to political figures are misleading and mischievous.”
The government emphasized that the demolition is not restricted to Makurdi alone but extends across the entire stretch of the Makurdi–Enugu highway.
Governor Hyacinth Alia called on residents to ignore “false narratives” aimed at portraying the development as politically motivated, stressing that the exercise was driven purely by urban planning and infrastructural renewal efforts.
“Development cannot thrive in an atmosphere of distortion,” the statement concluded. “We urge citizens to see beyond politics and recognize the long-term benefits this project will bring to Benue and Nigeria as a whole.”