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A support group campaigning for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election has intensified grassroots mobilisation in Benue State ahead of the 2027 general election.
The North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Movement for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 said it had provided free medical services to 27,529 people during a five-day outreach across seven healthcare facilities in the state.
The exercise, facilitated by the movement’s National Coordinator, Arc. Sonny Echono, was conducted between October 27 and 31, 2026.
The facilities covered included general hospitals in Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Vandeikya, Oju and Ugbokpo, as well as the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo.
Speaking at the launch of the programme at the General Hospital, North Bank, Makurdi, Mr Echono said the initiative was aimed at addressing healthcare challenges in rural communities while mobilising support for President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
The leader of the medical team, Professor Steve Abba, said 27,529 patients received medical attention during the exercise, while 582 surgical procedures were performed.
He said the team also conducted 2,384 eye consultations, distributed 225 pairs of corrective glasses and provided specialised dental services to 1,847 people.
According to him, the medical outreach covered diagnostic screenings, specialist consultations and treatment for malaria, acute respiratory infections, hypertension and oral diseases, as well as maternal and paediatric healthcare.
He added that the team performed surgeries for hernia, appendicitis, haemorrhoids and cataracts, among other medical conditions.
The Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo, recorded the highest number of beneficiaries with 7,597 patients, followed by Ugbokpo General Hospital with 4,771 and Vandeikya General Hospital with 3,875.
The organisers said 74 patients, comprising 33 men, 23 women and 18 children, were admitted for further treatment and clinical evaluation.
The movement also donated medical consumables, maternal delivery packs, diagnostic supplies and thousands of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets to the participating hospitals.
In a development that added a personal touch to the exercise, a woman identified as Mrs Adeyi, who delivered a baby boy at Ugbokpo General Hospital during the outreach, reportedly named the child Echono in honour of the movement’s national coordinator.
