By Ayodele Oni

Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has alleged that relationship between him and his successor, Governor Innocent Alia, has not been cordial.

To confirm this strained relationship, Ortom revealed that efforts to reach out to Alia since he was sworn in have been futile.

Even putting call accross to him, Governor Alia has reportedly failed to answer Ortom’s telephone calls.

Ortom made the claim during an interview on Arise News while discussing his relationship with the current Benue administration.

According to the former governor, he has attempted several times to reach Alia, but had received no response.

“Since I met him before his swearing in till today he has not picked my call, I have called him several times,” Ortom revealed.

He did not disclose what matters he intended to discuss with Alia, but said his repeated attempts to establish direct communication had been unsuccessful.

The disclosure comes amid ongoing political disagreements over the direction of governance in Benue State.

Ortom’s account offers further insight into the strained relationship he says exists between him and the incumbent governor.

By Ayodele Oni

Despite a court order, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has refused to return 23 vehicles allocated to his predecessor, Samuel Ortom and other political office holders.

The allegation is coming from Ortom who accused his successor, Governor Alia, of undermining democratic principles, disregarding court decisions and shutting out political and traditional stakeholders from governance.

Ortom made the allegations during an interview with Arise News while discussing the political situation in Benue ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The former governor pointed out that the Alia administration has spent more than three years in office without demonstrating sufficient commitment to the rule of law, alleging that the government has resorted to witch-hunting political opponents.

“What we are witnessing in the last three years and some months is that here is a government that doesn’t believe in the rule of law, but believes in witch hunting, believes in running opponents down.”

He cited the seizure of 23 official vehicles allocated to him and members of his former administration as an example of what he described as the government’s disregard for legal procedures.

According to Ortom, the vehicles had been approved by the State Executive Council as used assets after serving the government for more than four years and that they were subsequently taken away without prior notice.

Ortom said he challenged the action in court and secured a judgment ordering the return of the vehicles, alongside N5 million in damages. However, he alleged that the government has yet to comply with the judgment despite not appealing it.

“As I talk to you those vehicles have not been given to me. He hasn’t even appealed.”

The former governor also alleged that Alia recently directed traditional rulers in the state not to receive him when he visited his kinsmen to discuss his wife’s senatorial ambition.

“The governor directed that no chief should receive me, and I shouldn’t speak to any of them,” Ortom claimed.

He further accused the administration of failing to convene broad-based stakeholders’ meetings since taking office, arguing that the absence of such engagements was weakening inclusiveness in governance.

On local government administration, Ortom claimed that council autonomy in Benue existed largely on paper, alleging that local government chairmen lacked the freedom to independently execute projects and properly account for their activities.

The former governor also took aim at Alia’s pre-election image as a healing priest, contrasting it with his assessment of the governor’s performance in office.

“No single person can say that I was healed by Alia’s ministry,” adding that Benue residents have been “deceived” and were now seeing a difference between campaign promises and the reality of governance.

Ortom also faulted the state government’s handling of security issues, recalling that President Bola Tinubu, following the Yelewata massacre, had directed Alia to convene former governors, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to work towards finding lasting solutions to insecurity.

“Our governor has refused to summon that meeting. He doesn’t listen to anybody. He says he’s an independent person, so it is what he wants that he does. He has never taken my call for once since he came into office.

The former Governor attributed the growing opposition to the Alia administration to what he described as increasing public dissatisfaction, saying politicians such as PDP governorship aspirant Michael Auduaka were gaining support because residents were seeking an alternative.

He said the people of Benue has “decided to move from what they were doing in 2023 to a different thing.”

Ortom also argued that Benue residents were yet to feel significant benefits from increased federal allocations following the removal of the fuel subsidy, claiming that development remained concentrated in Makurdi while little was visible across the state’s 23 local government areas.

Despite his criticism of Alia, Ortom said he would support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

He said he remained politically aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and that he and his supporters in Benue were working for Tinubu.

At the state level, Ortom said he would support candidates of his choice for governor, the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly, although he did not disclose their identities.

He maintained that accountability, accessibility and inclusion were fundamental to democratic governance.

“Democracy is about the people. So where you don’t allow the people to see you and talk to you… nothing is happening,” Ortom said

By Ayodele Oni

The Benue State Government has reacted to claims by the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. PeterObi that he was blocked by thugs working for the state government from accessing Yelewata to console with families of 2025 attacks.

Government rejected the allegation describing it as unfounded and desperate attempt to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Benue people into what may be an internal political matter within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

A statement by Tersoo Kula,

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, stated that “We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has an idea of what Mr. Obi is talking about.

“Based on his antecedents of making untrue statements against the state, we have every reason to doubt whether he visited Makurdi, the state capital today.

“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.

“Governor Alia is a peace-loving Reverend gentleman. He is averse to the promotion of thuggery. In fact, his administration does not engage, patronize, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security.

“He is consistently committed to the rule of law and relies on recognized security agencies to maintain peace and order across the state.

“It is therefore curious that an individual presenting himself as a presidential candidate could arrive in a state without the relevant security authorities being formally informed of his movement.

“Ordinarily, such a visit would attract the attention and necessary security coordination involving the Commissioner of Police and other relevant security agencies.

“We really find it difficult to understand the basis for Mr. Obi’s attempt to connect every fabrication with the Benue State Government, and Governor Hyacinth Alia in the first instance.

“If Mr. Obi is confronted with disagreements or internal political challenges within his party structure in Benue State, those issues should be resolved within the party rather than being conveniently transferred 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.

“We therefore urge the public to disregard the allegations linking the State Government to any incident that happened around the NDC Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.

“Benue remains open to legitimate visitors, political actors and all Nigerians who come in peace.”