Indigenes of Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia from the Kunav bloc in Vandeikya Local Government Area have announced plans to resist his re-election bid ahead of the 2027 governorship race, citing alleged poor governance and escalating insecurity across the state.
The group, made up of six governorship hopefuls from various political parties, made the announcement during a joint press briefing held over the weekend in Makurdi. The event was themed “Benue at 50: Reflection, Responsibility and the Future We Must Reclaim.”
Speaking to journalists, the aspirants — Professor Dennis Ityavyar, Hon. Joseph Waya, Professor Paul Angya, Professor Terhemba Shija, Rt. Hon. Dominic Terkaa Ucha and ESV Godwin Ityoachimin — argued that despite substantial financial inflows and the powers vested in the state government, Benue has continued to drift as it marks its 50th anniversary.
They pointed to recurring attacks on communities, inconsistent salary payments, deteriorating infrastructure and weak institutional capacity as signs of leadership failure. The group noted that Benue generated about ₦20.43 billion in internally generated revenue in 2024, approximately 0.56 per cent of total subnational revenue, which they said does not reflect the state’s vast agricultural potential.
The aspirants further claimed that although the state received more than ₦400 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) within the same period, several ministries, departments and agencies remained poorly funded, while transparency in public finance management was lacking.
They also raised concerns over rising insecurity, referencing a recent attack on the Abande community market in Mbaikyor ward of Kwande Local Government Area, where at least 17 people, including a mobile police officer, were reportedly killed.
According to them, repeated attacks in Guma, Logo, Ukum, Apa, Makurdi and Kwande local government areas, alongside the growing number of internally displaced persons, highlight the urgent need for more inclusive and proactive leadership in the state.
In response, the governor’s spokesperson, Tersoo Kula, described the claims as politically driven, misleading and malicious. He maintained that Governor Alia’s administration has carried out reforms in public finance management, civil service efficiency, security coordination and infrastructure development.
Kula added that the government has blocked revenue leakages, eliminated payroll fraud, revived abandoned projects and made investments in agro-industrial development, education and community-based security initiatives, urging critics to engage constructively rather than politicising the state’s security and humanitarian challenges.
Post A Comment: