Benue artistes under the aegis of Alia Performing Musicians (APM) have declared that no governor in the history of the state has shown such unprecedented concern for the well-being of musicians as Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Speaking in an interview with The Voice Entertainment and Society on Thursday at the APM head office in Makurdi, the group’s convener and president, Bridget Dooshima Saakaan, popularly known as Queen Bridget, explained that APM is a coalition of Benue musicians from various genres.
She stated that the group came together with the common goal of using one voice to project the achievements of Governor Alia’s administration across all sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture, education, healthcare, security, workers’ welfare, and economic empowerment.
“We are a team of passionate Benue musicians who believe in the leadership of Governor Alia because he has proven that Benue’s challenges are solvable with the right leadership in place.
“His three years in office have recorded significant milestones touching every aspect of development, and the best way for the people of Benue to reciprocate this dedication is to give him another term. This is what we collectively advocate,” she emphasized.
Addressing the group’s history and membership criteria, Queen Bridget noted that APM was formed shortly after the governor’s swearing-in in 2023.
“We have existed as a team since 2023, and our entry requirements are simple because our primary focus is strength in numbers. Once you are an entertainer, whether a dancer, singer, mascot, or comedian, who genuinely acknowledges the good work of Gov. Alia and possesses a Permanent Voter Card (PVC), you are welcome to join.
“We have coordinators across all 23 local government areas in the state, and our doors are intentionally open to accommodate new members at any time. Beyond our vocal support, we continuously engage with members of our various communities and encourage them to collect their PVCs. We often share portions of the proceeds we generate from campaign rallies with them as motivation,” she added.
The convener highlighted several benefits the group has enjoyed, including full participation in the Benue State Inventors and Entrepreneurs Exhibition, organised by the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment from March 31 to April 2, 2025, at IBB Square, Makurdi, where several APM members received major awards and participation certificates.
“Our benefits as a group are too numerous to mention. We have enjoyed various grants, aid, and interventions that we would not have accessed had we not united under one umbrella body. Most importantly, we are recognised by the current administration and given a platform at every state government function, which is tremendous.
“We do not have specific individual sponsors, but we have been able to rent our campaign office located opposite Dexter’s Fast Food, near the Savannah Roundabout, Low-Level, Makurdi, using resources earned from events and political outings.
“However, we identify with several performing political office holders in Governor Alia’s administration who frequently offer us support, including the Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha; the General Manager of Benue Links, Comrade Alexander Aondohemba Fanafa; the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Organisations and Illegal Levies, Hon. Terver Gbenda; and the APC State Chairman.”
Regarding the group’s challenges, the president identified mobility and sound equipment as major hurdles.
“We need a vehicle to ease our movement during this campaign period. We also require sound systems and musical instruments to keep the governor’s campaign music playing continuously at both our head office here at the J.S. Tarka Foundation and our campaign office near the Savannah Roundabout,” she noted.
She further advised political song composers and the politicians who hire them to focus on issue-based politics and constructive advocacy, translating policies and manifestos into music rather than engaging in personal attacks or making unverified allegations against opponents.
Queen Bridget concluded by announcing the official launch of a campaign album by the Alia Performing Musicians (APM) for the 2027 re-election campaign of Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, scheduled for Friday, October 23, 2026, at the APC State Secretariat in Makurdi.
