Alia’s aide tackles Kwankwaso for meddling in Benue rift

NDC vice-presidential candidate for 2027 election, Rabiu Kwankwaso

The Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor, Tersoo Kula, has hit back at former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over his recent comments on the political dispute between Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

Kula accused Kwankwaso of interfering in Benue affairs and urged him to concentrate on the political challenges confronting his own state.

His statement, obtained by The PUNCH on Wednesday, came after Kwankwaso, in an interview with ARISE News, described the disagreement between Alia and Akume as “unfortunate and unnecessary” and accused the governor of acting out of desperation.

The latest exchange is also connected to the controversy surrounding the September 8 disruption of the visit of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to Benue.

Obi’s convoy was blocked by youths in Makurdi while he was travelling to Yelwata, prompting accusations against the state government and counterclaims that Obi’s team had failed to properly notify the government of the visit.

Kula rejected Kwankwaso’s criticism of Alia, describing it as “an unfortunate and unwarranted insult” that, according to him, did little to advance political discourse.

He said Kwankwaso’s position was rooted in what he described as a “misplaced grudge” arising from Obi’s disputed visit to Benue.

“We understand his misplaced grudge against Governor Alia. He is angry because his principal, Mr Peter Obi, was sneaked into Benue without proper coordination, after which he falsely accused the governor of disrupting the visit.”

Kula further alleged that the controversy surrounding Obi’s visit was deliberately orchestrated to damage Alia politically.

“Obi’s drama was completely set up by those who are desperate to give Governor Alia a bad name,” he said, adding that if Kwankwaso had not recognised this, “we are compelled to wonder whether he is truly a politician who understands the politics of this region.”

However, accounts of the notification preceding Obi’s visit have remained contested.

While the Benue government said Alia was not informed, a document reported by Premium Times showed that the NDC’s Benue chapter notified the state police command of the visit on September 7.

The Benue Commissioner of Police also said the party had presented the notification to his office for security purposes, while clarifying that the police were not instructed to transmit it to the governor.

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Kula nevertheless maintained that Alia’s mandate should not be questioned on account of political disagreements.

“Governor Alia, a Reverend gentleman, was elected by the people of Benue State, and his mandate should be respected by any sane citizen, regardless of political differences,” he said.

The governor’s spokesman then turned the criticism towards Kano, arguing that Kwankwaso had sufficient political issues in his home state requiring his attention.

“Someone needs to tell the former governor of Kano State that, rather than interfering in Benue’s internal affairs or making unfounded claims about the relationship between Governor Alia and Senator George Akume, he should focus on the political challenges confronting him in Kano,” Kula said.

He cited the recent Kano State House of Assembly by-election as part of the political terrain facing Kwankwaso.

The Independent National Electoral Commission scheduled the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency election for September 19, while Kwankwaso’s NDC did not participate after consulting with its leader, according to reports.

The APC subsequently won the seat.

Kula said the former Kano governor’s attention should be directed towards strengthening his political position in the state rather than commenting on Benue’s internal affairs.

“The concerns surrounding his party’s difficulty in finding political footing and his fast-declining political influence deserve his attention more than personal attacks on another state’s governor,” he said.

He added that Benue voters were capable of assessing the performance of their government without external direction.

“Kwankwaso should be advised to stop insulting the sensibilities of Benue people, as the people are capable of judging their government and deciding their political future.

“Kwankwaso should face Kano politics. He has enough to explain why his party performed so abysmally in the last by-elections conducted in his state. He must respect the people’s mandate in Benue and offer ideas, not insults,” he added.