A political exchange between Benue and Kano has intensified after Governor Hyacinth Alia’s spokesman, Tersoo Kula, challenged Rabiu Kwankwaso to concentrate on the political situation in Kano rather than comment on Benue’s internal affairs. Kula, the Chief Press Secretary to the Benue governor, was reacting to Kwankwaso’s recent remarks on the dispute involving Alia and […]
A political exchange between Benue and Kano has intensified after Governor Hyacinth Alia’s spokesman, Tersoo Kula, challenged Rabiu Kwankwaso to concentrate on the political situation in Kano rather than comment on Benue’s internal affairs.
Kula, the Chief Press Secretary to the Benue governor, was reacting to Kwankwaso’s recent remarks on the dispute involving Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
The former Kano governor had described the disagreement between Alia and Akume as “unfortunate and unnecessary” during an interview with ARISE News and also criticised the handling of Peter Obi’s disrupted visit to Benue.
Kwankwaso had questioned why Obi’s visit was allowed to end in a confrontation after youths blocked his convoy in Makurdi on September 8 while he was travelling to Yelwata.
Responding, Kula dismissed the former governor’s criticism as “an unfortunate and unwarranted insult”, saying it did not contribute to meaningful political discussion.
He accused Kwankwaso of harbouring what he described as a “misplaced grudge” against Alia because of Obi’s visit to the state.
“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 said.
The governor’s aide also alleged that the incident involving Obi had been deliberately orchestrated by people who wanted to portray Alia negatively.
Kula said the circumstances surrounding the visit should have been better understood before Kwankwaso criticised the governor, adding that the former Kano governor’s position raised questions about his understanding of the politics of the region.
However, the circumstances surrounding notification of Obi’s visit have generated conflicting accounts.
The Benue Government maintained that Alia was not informed about the visit, while a document reported by Premium Times showed that the NDC’s Benue chapter notified the state police command on September 7.
The state Commissioner of Police confirmed that the notification was submitted to his office for security arrangements but said the police were not instructed to pass it on to the governor.
Following the disruption of Obi’s convoy, the police announced an investigation, while 46 people were arrested in connection with the blockade.
Despite the controversy, Kula insisted that the political mandate given to Alia by Benue voters should not be questioned because of disagreements involving other politicians.
“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.
Kula also rejected Kwankwaso’s comments about the relationship between Alia and Akume, saying the former Kano governor should address political matters in his own state.
He pointed to challenges involving Kwankwaso’s political party in Kano and argued that those issues deserved the former governor’s 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.
The Benue governor’s spokesman also cited the recent Dawakin Kudu State Constituency by-election, which the NDC did not contest after consultations with its leader, while the APC emerged victorious.
Kula said the outcome showed that Kwankwaso had pressing political matters to address in Kano instead of focusing on the Benue governor.
“The concerns surrounding his party’s difficulty in finding political footing and his fast-declining political influence there deserve his attention more than personal attacks on another state’s governor,” he said.
Kula further appealed to Kwankwaso to stop what he described as attacks on Benue people, insisting that voters in the state could independently assess their government and decide who should represent them.
“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.