Benue State Government has dismissed as false claims by the Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr. Peter Obi, that he was prevented by government-sponsored thugs from accessing Yelewata to commiserate with families of victims of the 2025 attacks.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, said the allegations were unfounded and a desperate attempt to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the people of Benue into what appears to be an internal political matter within the NDC.
“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has any knowledge of what Mr. Obi is talking about,” the statement said.
The government further questioned the credibility of the visit, citing Mr. Obi’s “antecedents of making untrue statements against the state.” It added that it has reason to doubt whether the NDC candidate actually visited Makurdi on Tuesday.
“Let it be known that Mr. Peter Obi is not a threat to Governor Alia in any way. Even if he actually visited the state, and we realized that he is a threat to anyone, the security agencies are there to handle the issue, not thugs,” Kula stated.
The statement described Governor Alia as a peace-loving cleric who is averse to thuggery and does not engage or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security. It said the administration remains committed to the rule of law and relies on recognized security agencies to maintain peace and order across the state.
The government also questioned the protocol of the visit, noting that it was curious for a presidential candidate to arrive in a state without formally notifying relevant security authorities. It said such a visit would ordinarily require coordination with the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies.
Kula urged Mr. Obi to resolve internal party disagreements within the NDC structure in Benue rather than transfer them to the state government.
“The Alia administration will not be distracted by attempts to manufacture political controversies where none exists. Its attention remains firmly focused on delivering good governance, strengthening security and improving the welfare of the people of Benue State,” the statement added.
The government urged the public to disregard the allegations linking it to any incident involving the NDC Presidential candidate, and reiterated that Benue remains open to legitimate visitors and all Nigerians who come in peace.
