Benue State Governor Fr. Hyacinth Alia has warned aspirants interested in elective positions ahead of the 2027 General election to stop using his name to canvass support during consultations.
It is learnt that no fewer than 15 appointees of the governor, including two commissioners and three special advisers, have turned in letters of resignation to contest the forthcoming election. Appointees had until March 31, 2026, to resign if interested in 2027.
Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor in a press statement says the governor “has not asked, encouraged, or mandated any individual to contest for any political office.”
According to the statement, using the governor’s name to imply was “misleading, unauthorised, and a deliberate attempt to deceive the public for personal political gain.”
“As a product of the People’s choice myself, I am not the one to decide anyone’s electoral fate. The people are there to decide and make their choices. I am not making choices for anyone. If you want to contest elections, go out there and talk to your people, convince them to choose you. That is democracy,” the statement quotes the governor as saying.
The governor urged “all aspirants involved in this practice to desist forthwith, cautioning that any aspirant who continues to drop his name in pursuit of political advantage is, in fact, jeopardising their own chances, as such conduct undermines credibility and public trust.”
He says the people will determine who their leaders should be through lawful and transparent processes at the appropriate time.
