Benue Governor Alia Dismisses Defection Rumours to ADC as Malicious Campaign
- A false report claiming Governor Hyacinth Alia planned to defect from the APC was dismissed as malicious propaganda
- His Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said the Governor’s visits to elder statesmen were part of his inclusive leadership style
- The administration stressed that opposition structures in Benue were collapsing daily into the APC under Alia’s directives
Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State, wrote on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, that a report alleging Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s plan to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) after a supposed “secret meeting” with Senator Iyorchia Ayu was false.
Kula described the narrative as “laughable” and said it was nothing more than a “wicked, mischievous, and vicious smear campaign orchestrated to distract the Governor from his focused governance and to deceive the Presidency for selfish political gains.”
Source: Twitter
Governor Alia’s leadership style
The statement explained that since assuming office, Governor Alia had been visiting leaders and elder statesmen without political or religious bias.
Kula stressed that the Governor’s liberal vision for development allowed him to embrace all, noting that he reserved the right to visit any elder statesman, including leaders of Senator Ayu’s calibre.
According to the press secretary, such visits were normal, respectable, and consistent with Alia’s inclusive leadership style.
Strengthening APC in Benue state
Kula reported that Governor Alia had been reaching out to prominent elders across Benue and successfully winning them into the APC fold. Notable examples included 3rd Republic Senator Prof. David Iornem, Elder David Iorwashima Amo, and Ambassador Terhemen Tarzoor.
He said these engagements had strengthened the party rather than weakened it.
Opposition structures collapsing into APC
The statement further revealed that under Governor Alia’s directives, opposition structures across Benue State were collapsing daily into the APC.
Defection ceremonies were said to be taking place in virtually all local government areas, with influential figures abandoning their former platforms to join the ruling party in unprecedented numbers.
“This is the true political reality in Benue, not the fiction being circulated by mischief makers,” Kula wrote.
Commitment to APC consolidation
Governor Alia was reported to remain firmly committed to building a united and dominant APC in Benue State. He was said to be prepared to engage even the fiercest political opponents and bring them into the party as part of a broader strategy for 2027 consolidation, both for his administration and for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The press secretary urged the public to disregard the concocted story in circulation, describing it as a deliberate distraction meant to sow confusion and undermine the growing strength of the APC under Governor Alia’s leadership.
Speaking with Legit.ng, AbdulRasheed Hussaini, a policy analyst based in Nigeria, explained the role of misinformation in political landscape:
“The dismissal of reports alleging Governor Hyacinth Alia’s defection from the APC reflects the increasingly toxic role of misinformation in Nigeria’s political landscape. By labeling the story as “malicious propaganda,” his administration is not only defending the Governor’s credibility but also highlighting how false narratives are weaponized to destabilize governance and sow confusion. What happened is a reminder that misinformation corrodes trust in institutions and distracts leaders from their mandate. For Nigeria’s democracy to thrive, political communication must be rooted in transparency and accountability, not in attempts to deceive or manipulate public perception.”
Source: Twitter
Gov. Alia clarifies ‘no genocide’ comment
Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor, Hyacinth Alia of Benue state, clarified his stance on violent attacks in the state, saying his recent comments were not meant to downplay the scale of insecurity or the suffering of affected communities.
The governor came under intense public scrutiny after remarks he made on Wednesday, November 19, during a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) policy consultation in Abuja.
At the event, Alia stated that the killings in the state do not fit the legal definition of genocide, explaining that the situation should not be framed as religious or ethnic extermination.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
