Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia has argued that his alleged moves to defect the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was a fabricated and malicious report.
It was alleged that the Governor Alia was in a “secret meeting” with former Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Tersoo Kula in a statement on Wednesday in Makurdi said “the narrative is laughable, and it is nothing but a wicked, mischievous, and vicious smear campaign orchestrated to distract the governor from his focused governance and to deceive the Presidency for selfish political gains.
“For the avoidance of doubt, since assumption of office, the Governor has been visiting leaders and elder statesmen devoid of political or religious inclination.
He, further, argued that the governor has a liberal vision for development and should embrace all as he reserves the right to visit any elder statesman, especially leaders like Sen. Ayu.
“As far as Governor Alia is concerned, such visits are normal, respectable, and consistent with his inclusive leadership style.
“In fact, the governor has been reaching out to prominent elders across Benue and winning them into the APC fold, notable examples include 3rd Republic Senator, Prof. David Iornem , Elder David Iorwashima Amo, Amb. Terhemen Tarzoor among others.”
He said such engagements have strengthened the party for the benefit of it’s members.”
Kula revealed that the opposition structures across “Benue State are collapsing daily into the APC, with defection ceremonies taking place in virtually all local government areas, with influential figures abandoning their former platforms to join the ruling party in unprecedented numbers.
“This is the true political reality in Benue, not the fiction being circulated by mischief makers”.
He assured that Governor Alia was firmly committed to building a united, dominant APC in Benue State adding that the Governor was prepared to engage even the fiercest political opponents with the aim of bringing them into the party as part of a broader strategy for 2027 consolidation, both for his administration and for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He called on the Benue people to disregard the concocted story in circulation, insisting that it was a deliberate and desperate attempt to distract him, even as it was meant to sow confusion and undermine the growing strength of the APC under Governor Alia’s leadership.
