The Benue State Government on Friday vowed to aggressively counter what it described as coordinated propaganda and falsehood allegedly being propagated by opposition figures against Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The government said it would no longer remain silent in the face of what it described as deliberate misinformation aimed at undermining the administration.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, stated this at a press conference in Makurdi, where he addressed the controversy surrounding the obstruction of the convoy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during his recent visit to the state.
Kula also spoke on other political developments in Benue, alleging that opposition figures were engaged in a sustained campaign to de-market the Alia administration and undermine its achievements ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He said the government would henceforth respond more forcefully to what it considered false or misleading narratives about the administration.
“We will no longer keep quiet in the face of propaganda and falsehood. The people deserve the truth, and government has a responsibility to correct deliberate misinformation,” he said.
The governor’s spokesman alleged that former Governor Samuel Ortom, despite publicly supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was secretly working for Obi.
According to Kula, Obi was chauffeured during his recent visit to Benue in a vehicle allegedly linked to Ortom, a development he said raised questions about the political circumstances surrounding the obstruction of the NDC candidate’s convoy.
Kula maintained that Governor Alia remained peaceful, humble and committed to fulfilling his campaign promises, stressing that the administration was not intimidated by what he described as a “gang-up” against the governor.
He argued that it was unrealistic to expect every challenge confronting the state to be resolved within three years, noting that previous administrations had spent longer periods in office without delivering comparable results.
Describing the alleged alliance between Ortom and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN), as an “unholy alliance”, Kula urged Benue voters to reject the opposition at the polls.
He alleged that opposition leaders in the state had records of poor governance and abuse of office.
On governance, Kula said the Alia administration had continued to prioritise infrastructure development through a funding partnership between the state government and the 23 local government councils for road construction.
He explained that under the arrangement, local governments provide 40 per cent of the project funding, while the state government contributes the remaining 60 per cent.
He described the arrangement as a practical model for accelerating infrastructure development across the state.
Among the projects cited were roads along the Gwer axis, the Sankera–Chito–Vaase Road and the Adikpo–Koti–Vandeikya Road, which he said were only a fraction of the ongoing road projects across the state.
Kula urged Benue residents to assess the Alia administration based on tangible projects and service delivery rather than what he described as opposition propaganda and rumours.
Meanwhile, a Benue-born APC chieftain, Dominic Alancha, has condemned the mob action against Obi and members of his entourage during the NDC presidential candidate’s recent visit to the state.
Alancha described the incident as a vindication of what he called long-standing complaints by residents about “Governor Alia’s dictatorship” in the state.
He alleged that those who blocked Obi’s convoy were political thugs loyal to the governor.
According to him, Obi, as a Nigerian citizen and presidential candidate, should not have been prevented from entering any part of the country.
He insisted that Obi posed no security threat and had visited Benue to sympathise with victims and provide humanitarian support to communities affected by insecurity.
The APC chieftain declared his unwavering support, and that of the people of Benue, for President Tinubu, but insisted that Governor Alia should be called to order over the incident.
He warned that democracy must guarantee every Nigerian the freedom to move, associate and participate in political activities without intimidation