Kunav Progressive Academics have urged the Catholic Bishops of Gboko, Otukpo, Makurdi, and Katsina-Ala Dioceses not to allow the Catholic Church to be used as a tool for opposition politics.
Members of the Association made the call Monday during a press conference held at Tripple M Apartments Limited in Makurdi.
Speaking on behalf of other members, Prof Daniel Ngusha Chile said they were neither politicians, nor apologists for any administration, but academics, researchers, and stakeholders from Kunav extraction who are deeply committed to the truth, the development of Benue State, and the integrity of the state’s sacred institutions.
Prof Chile explained that the press conference was convened in reaction to the circulation of a document in the public space—a petition dated February 27, 2026, addressed to the Catholic Bishops of Gboko, Otukpo, Makurdi, and Katsina-Ala Dioceses, which was authored by a group that calls itself the “Coalition of Gubernatorial Aspirants From Vandeikya Local Government Area,” naming the petitioners to include Surveyor Godwin Ityoachimin, Hon. Joseph Waya, Rt. Hon. Dominic Ucha, Prof. Paul Angya, Prof. Denis Ityavyar, and Prof. Terhemba Shija.
According to prof Chile, as academics trained in the art of critical analysis, they read that document with a deep sense of disappointment.
“What we found was not a genuine pastoral concern, but a carefully scripted political manifesto disguised as a religious complaint.
“We found half-truths presented as facts, metaphors twisted into malice, and ambition dressed in the garb of piety,” he said adding that, “We are here today to set the record straight by providing the context that was deliberately omitted as well as reminding the good people of Benue State that the Governor of our state, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Hyacinth Iormem Alia, is not a sectional leader but the Governor of Benue State who was elected by the majority of votes across Tiv, Idoma, and Igede lands.
Describing the individuals behind the petition as men whose names are no strangers to the political chessboard of Benue State, Prof Chile recalled that they were the same individuals who, weeks ago, held a press conference announcing their ambition to unseat Governor Alia in 2027 saying their petition to the Bishops is simply Chapter Two of that same political manifesto.
“But while they speak of rhetoric and threats, we will speak of roads constructed, salaries paid, industries revived, and lives transformed. While they weaponize the pulpit, we will defend the sanctuary.”
The spokesperson of the Kunav Progressive Academics highlighted key points which he said were for the benefit of the public and for the archives of history.
Among those key points were: The Misrepresentation of the Tsenge Incident which they tagged the petitioners’ account of the event at All Saints Catholic Church in Tsenge on January 18, 2026, as a classic case of taking words out of context to manufacture outrage as according to them, Governor Alia was not delivering a political campaign speech but simply addressing the congregation and his well-wishers during the Thanksgiving ceremony, a cultural and religious event in which it is customary for the guest of honour to offer exhortations.
“The metaphorical language attributed to the Governor, specifically regarding “biting fingers” and “beheading,” is a deliberate and malicious misinterpretation of indigenous rhetoric. In Tiv socio-political discourse, such proverbial expressions are traditionally used to emphasize the need for resilience, vigilance, and self-defense against political persecution. To equate these idioms with a literal endorsement of violence is either intellectually dishonest or a sign of a weak grasp of Tiv communication nuances.”
Another issue mentioned during the press conference was tagged: Pattern or Pretext? The August 2025 Incident which the spokesperson said the petitioners referenced an incident at St. George Catholic Church in Tyobo regarding the Ter Gboko.
“Again, context is missing. The Governor has consistently advocated for respect for constituted traditional authority. If there were tensions, they were matters of political realignment and local governance, not threats issued from the pulpit. To frame routine political interaction as “intimidation” is a stretch designed to fit a pre-determined narrative of victimhood.”
Prof Chile further described ‘Politicizing the Pulpit for Ambition’ as the real desecration
“We submit that the true desecration of sacred space is not the Governor’s attendance at Mass, where he is entitled to worship as a Catholic, but the act of reducing church gatherings to a venue for filing political petitions. The Vandeikya aspirants have used the Church’s name and the letterhead of a religious complaint to pursue a naked political agenda: the governorship of Benue State in 2027.
“Governor Alia is a priest who heeded the people’s call to serve in the temporal order. His presence in the church is first and foremost as a baptized Catholic seeking the Eucharist. To suggest that his former clerical status is a tool for “gaining access to pulpits” is offensive to the clergy and priesthood generally. Our priests and Bishops are men of integrity and sound theological grounding; they are not pawns to be manipulated by any politician.
Speaking on the silence of the aspirants on real issues, Prof Chile expressed disappointment that while these aspirants, many of whom have held public office, are deeply concerned about “rhetoric,” they have remained conspicuously silent about the tangible developmental strides of the Alia administration.
On politics of bitterness and the moral question of the petitioners, the group expressed disappointment saying, “What is most unfortunate is that individuals who should ordinarily contribute to intellectual and political maturity in the state have chosen instead to embark on a campaign of sensationalism. Benue people are politically conscious and will not be misled by elite quarrels disguised as religious concern. If the signatories to this petition truly believe they have a better vision for the state, they should present that vision openly to the electorate rather than hide behind petitions and attempts to inflame religious sentiment.
“A cursory examination of these aspirants’ individual records and actions reveals a pattern of egregious incompetence and a lack of tangible achievements.
Prof Chile therefore, described the joint press statement by the Kunav Governorship Aspirants as a brazen display of hypocrisy saying each signatory has a track record of failure, incompetence, and corruption that renders them unfit for the office of the governor.
“The people of Benue State deserve better than these individuals, who are more interested in their own interests than in the public good,” he maintained even as he highlighted some visible and verifiable achievements of Governor Alia in less than three years to include Infrastructural Transformation, Industrial Revolution, Educational Advancement, Healthcare Delivery, Workers’ Welfare and Economic Empowerment among others.
Expressing confidence in the Catholic Bishops’ spiritual discernment to distinguish genuine pastoral concern from political camouflage, the group while agreeing with the petitioners that the Church must remain neutral however, maintained that neutrality does not mean allowing a group of aspirants to weaponize ecclesiastical authority against a sitting Governor simply because they are afraid of his popularity and grassroots acceptance.
“Governor Hyacinth Alia remains a man of peace, a product of Catholic discipline, and a leader committed to the Gospel values he preached as a priest and now implements as a Governor. If the aspirants from Vandeikya wish to contest elections, they should do so at the ballot box in 2027, not in the sanctuary in 2026.
“We call on the good people of Benue State to ignore these distractions. The work of rebuilding Benue continues, and no amount of politically motivated petitions will deter His Excellency from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people’s doorsteps.”
The text titled “Kunav Progressive Academics Reject Petition Against Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia Questioning The Moral Standing Of Its Signatories”, which was read during the press conference
was signed by thirty five (35) members of the association.
