Get Guardian on GoogleThe North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Movement for Tinubu-Shettima 2027 has reported providing medical services to 27,529 patients across seven healthcare facilities in Benue State as part of its campaign to mobilise grassroots support ahead of the 2027 general election.
The five-day medical outreach, held from October 27 to 31, 2026, was facilitated by the movement’s National Coordinator, Sonny Echono, and covered six general hospitals and a federal teaching hospital in the state.
The organisers said the programme combined free medical consultations, surgical procedures, diagnostic screenings and the distribution of healthcare supplies with efforts to strengthen support for President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at the launch of the exercise at General Hospital, North Bank, Makurdi, Echono said the initiative was intended to address some of the healthcare challenges facing residents while supporting the movement’s political mobilisation activities.
He described the outreach as part of the group’s efforts to engage communities ahead of the next general election.
The leader of the medical team, Professor Steve Abba, said 27,529 patients received medical attention during the programme.
According to him, the team performed 582 surgical procedures and conducted 2,384 ophthalmic consultations across the participating facilities.
He added that 225 pairs of corrective glasses were distributed, while 1,847 people received specialised dental interventions.
The medical services included diagnostic screenings, specialist consultations and treatment for several common health conditions.
Among the illnesses addressed were malaria, acute respiratory infections, hypertension and oral diseases.
The programme also provided maternal and paediatric healthcare services.
Abba said the surgical procedures included operations for hernia, appendicitis, haemorrhoids and cataracts, among other conditions.
The figures were supplied by the organisers and have not been independently verified by The Guardian.
The movement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the surgical procedures performed at each facility or the number of medical personnel involved.
The outreach took place at general hospitals in Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Vandeikya, Oju and Ugbokpo, as well as the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Otukpo.
According to the organisers, the teaching hospital in Otukpo recorded the highest number of beneficiaries, with 7,597 patients receiving medical attention.
Ugbokpo General Hospital followed with 4,771 beneficiaries, while Vandeikya General Hospital recorded 3,875.
Together, the three facilities accounted for 16,243 of the 27,529 patients reported to have received care during the exercise.
The organisers did not provide separate attendance figures for the remaining four hospitals.
They also did not clarify whether the overall figure represented individual patients or included people who received more than one service during the programme.
Nevertheless, the reported attendance suggests considerable demand for the healthcare services provided during the five-day exercise.
Beyond outpatient consultations and surgical interventions, the medical team reported that 74 patients were admitted for further treatment and clinical evaluation.
The admitted patients comprised 33 men, 23 women and 18 children.
The organisers did not disclose the conditions responsible for the admissions or whether the patients remained hospitalised after the outreach concluded.
They also did not provide details of follow-up arrangements for beneficiaries requiring continued medical supervision.
Such arrangements are particularly important following surgical procedures and the diagnosis of conditions requiring ongoing treatment.
Patients with hypertension, for example, may require regular monitoring and medication, while those recovering from surgery need appropriate postoperative care.
The long-term benefits of temporary medical interventions can therefore depend on the availability of continuing services after an outreach programme ends.
The movement said it also donated medical consumables and other healthcare materials to the participating facilities.
The supplies included maternal delivery packs, diagnostic materials and thousands of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets.
The organisers said the donations were intended to support healthcare delivery and strengthen the capacity of the hospitals to meet patients’ needs.
Insecticide-treated nets are among the preventive measures used to reduce exposure to malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
One incident highlighted by the organisers occurred at Ugbokpo General Hospital, where a woman identified as Mrs Adeyi reportedly delivered a baby boy during the outreach.
According to the movement, the woman named the child “Echono” in recognition of the programme’s national coordinator.
The account was presented by the organisers as an example of the response to the medical intervention.
Further details about the mother and child were not provided.
The medical programme was organised by the North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Movement for Tinubu-Shettima 2027, which is seeking to build support for President Bola Tinubu and the APC ahead of the next presidential election.
Echono said the initiative was designed both to provide healthcare assistance and to strengthen the movement’s engagement with communities.
The exercise illustrates how political support groups are incorporating community services into their grassroots activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, the organisers did not provide evidence showing whether participation in the medical programme resulted in increased political support.
The number of patients treated should therefore not be interpreted as a measure of electoral backing for the President or the APC.
The organisers described the Benue programme as part of a wider effort to engage communities through practical interventions.
While the reported number of beneficiaries indicates the scale of the exercise, the longer-term healthcare outcomes remain unclear.
For the Tinubu-Shettima support movement, the programme represents another aspect of its preparations for the 2027 elections.
For the patients who attended, the immediate significance lies in the healthcare services reportedly received across the seven participating facilities.
Whether the intervention produces lasting health benefits will depend partly on the continuity of care available to beneficiaries after the five-day exercise.
