The Benue State Government has accused former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, of repeatedly making what it described as false claims against Governor Hyacinth Alia and the state government.
The government made the allegation while dismissing claims by Obi that thugs allegedly linked to the Alia administration blocked his movement in Benue State on Tuesday.
In a statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the government described the allegation as unfounded and an attempt to drag the governor and the Benue State Government into what it suggested could be an internal political dispute within the NDC.
The statement came after the Obidient Movement accused the Alia administration of allegedly deploying thugs to barricade Gboko Road near the Makurdi Airport and disrupt Obi’s activities in the state.
The government said it had no knowledge of the incident alleged by Obi, adding that his previous statements about the state had given it reason to question the latest claim.
“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,” the government said.
It insisted that Obi was not a threat to Governor Alia and argued that if any security concern arose during his visit, the appropriate security agencies would be responsible for addressing it, rather than political thugs.
“Mr. Peter Obi is not a threat to Governor Alia in any way. Even if he actually visited the state, and we realised that he is a threat to anyone, the security agencies are there to handle the issue, not thugs,” the statement said.
The government also rejected any suggestion that Alia’s administration uses political thugs as instruments of governance or security, describing the governor as committed to peace and the rule of law.
“His administration does not engage, patronise, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security,” it said.
The state government further questioned why Obi allegedly visited Benue without formally notifying the relevant security authorities, saying such a visit would ordinarily require coordination with the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies.
It also suggested that the controversy could be connected to disagreements within the NDC’s Benue chapter, urging Obi to resolve any such issues within his party.
“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 statement said.
The Alia administration said it would not be distracted by what it described as attempts to manufacture political controversies, maintaining that its focus remained on improving security, governance and the welfare of Benue residents.
It urged the public to disregard allegations linking the state government to the incident involving Obi, assuring that Benue remained open to legitimate visitors and political actors who came to the state peacefully.
The statement was signed by Kula, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary.
