Performance, incumbency, grassroots appeal and the power of continuity give Benue governor a head start in the race for a second term, Denen Achussah writes.
As the February 2027 governorship election approaches, Fr. Hyacinth Alia appears to have a significant advantage over the six other candidates seeking to occupy the Benue State Government House in Makurdi. While his challengers must convince voters that they offer a better alternative, the incumbent has the opportunity to campaign on his record, defend his performance and ask the electorate for another four years to consolidate his administration’s achievements.
The contest is certainly not a walkover. Prof. Terhemba Shija of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Herman Hembe of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Damian Adagba of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Dr. Matthias Byuan of the Labour Party, Prof. Sebastine Hon, SAN, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Chief Mike Aondoakaa, SAN, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), all have credentials and political arguments to present. But Fr. Alia enters the contest from a considerably different position: He is the man already occupying the office, with achievements to showcase and an established grassroots following to defend.
Indeed, the 2027 election will be fundamentally different from the 2023 contest. Four years ago, Fr. Alia rode on a wave of public discontent, his humanitarian reputation, religious appeal and the promise of a new political order. This time, his re-election bid will be judged more substantially on measurable service delivery, governance outcomes and whether he has justified the confidence reposed in him.
The popularity factor
Few politicians in Benue’s recent history have enjoyed the kind of mass appeal Fr. Alia demonstrated before the 2023 election. His emergence was not simply the product of conventional political calculations or an endorsement by an established political godfather. His Yes Father movement became a formidable grassroots phenomenon, drawing support from communities and political constituencies across the state.
Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), once described Fr. Alia’s popularity as unprecedented in Benue’s political history.
According to Sen Akume, people struggled to touch the governor whenever they saw him, while crowds spontaneously shouted his name as he passed.
The significance of that endorsement cannot be overlooked, particularly because Sen Akume was instrumental in the political emergence of several governors in the state and had previously served as a protocol officer to the late Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu, another priest who governed Benue.
But popularity alone cannot guarantee a second term. The first election is often driven by expectations and the promise of change; the second is an assessment of performance. Fr. Alia must therefore demonstrate that the enthusiasm that brought him to power has not been squandered.
His advantage, however, is that he is not starting from scratch. He has an existing political structure, a recognisable brand and a direct relationship with sections of the electorate that his challengers must work hard to establish.
Breaking the career politicians’ grip
Perhaps the most consequential political development under Fr. Alia has been his determination to alter the traditional arrangement through which established political interests influence government formation and distribution of political patronage.
Since 2011, Benue politics has witnessed the emergence of a class of career politicians, including professionals who abandoned their original occupations for political appointments and patronage. The system became particularly entrenched during successive administrations, creating expectations that political loyalty and investment in electoral victories should translate into privileged access to government.
Fr. Alia’s emergence in 2023 disrupted that arrangement.
His disagreement with sections of the political establishment became particularly pronounced following the constitution of the leadership of the Benue State Assembly and subsequent disagreements over the distribution of political influence.
For those who expected the governor to accommodate established political interests in the manner of previous administrations, the experience has been frustrating.
Consequently, the governor’s most determined opposition may not necessarily come from the opposition parties alone but from within the political establishment that helped deliver the APC victory in 2023.
The emerging strategic partnership among some political interests, ostensibly to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, has also generated speculation about an underlying objective of frustrating Fr. Alia’s second-term ambition.
Whether Senator Akume will openly support or oppose the governor remains a major political question. His loyalists’ grievances and their determination to influence the outcome of the governorship election have nevertheless introduced another dimension to the contest.
For Fr. Alia, the challenge is to demonstrate that his preference for governance over political patronage is not an excuse for exclusion but a deliberate attempt to establish a government driven by competence and public interest.
The performance argument
Beyond the political intrigues, Fr. Alia’s strongest argument for re-election is his administration’s record in infrastructure, workers’ welfare, education, healthcare, urban renewal and economic development.
Regular and timely payment of salaries and pensions has become one of the administration’s most frequently cited achievements. For a state where workers and pensioners have endured prolonged periods of uncertainty over their entitlements, this represents an important restoration of confidence in government.
His administration has also pursued an ambitious urban renewal programme, particularly in Makurdi, where road construction, rehabilitation and other infrastructure interventions have begun to give the state capital a different appearance.
The governor has equally placed emphasis on education and healthcare, alongside ecological development, industrial investment, power and rural infrastructure.
His approach to governance has also brought relatively unknown individuals into positions of responsibility, challenging the long-standing perception that political relevance and established connections are prerequisites for public service.
These interventions are not without criticisms. The opposition will undoubtedly question the pace, coverage and sustainability of the projects, while voters will want to know how much of the state’s development has translated into improved living conditions.
Nevertheless, Fr. Alia has something his opponents do not: An opportunity to take the electorate through an actual record of administration rather than a catalogue of promises.
Security: A critical test
Security remains one of the most difficult issues confronting Benue State, and perhaps the area where Fr. Alia’s re-election campaign will face its toughest scrutiny.
The governor’s administration, however, maintains that it has made significant interventions through logistical support, collaboration with security agencies and efforts to strengthen the state’s security architecture.
His Special Adviser on Security (External), Col. Alexander Igbaya Ashungu (retd.), has pointed to the logistical assistance provided to security agencies and the attraction of the Nigerian Army’s 5 Division to Benue as evidence of the administration’s commitment.
Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu has also publicly acknowledged the governor’s support for the police command, frequently attributing operational successes to the assistance received from the state government.
These endorsements are important, but they do not diminish the electorate’s legitimate expectation that displaced persons should return to their ancestral communities and farmers should cultivate their lands without fear.
For Fr. Alia, security is therefore not merely another campaign talking point. It is an unfinished assignment that could significantly influence his political fortunes.
What the challengers are bringing
Fr. Alia’s opponents are not without political experience, professional credentials or compelling campaign messages. Their challenge, however, is to translate those attributes into a convincing argument that they can govern Benue better than the incumbent.
Prof. Terhemba Shija, the NDC candidate, is perhaps among the most politically experienced challengers. A retired professor of African Literature and Critical Theory, he was elected into the House of Representatives at 32 and subsequently served as Director-General of the Benue State Liaison Office in Lagos. He also directed the governorship campaigns of Akume in 1999 and Suswam/Lawani in 2011.
Having lost the APC governorship ticket to Fr. Alia in 2023, Prof. Shija returns with a promise to do things differently, decently and with the fear of God. He also pledges zero tolerance for corruption, threatening to sack and prosecute officials found stealing public funds.
His experience in politics and government is an asset. However, he must convince voters that his extensive involvement in the Benue political establishment represents an advantage rather than a continuation of the old order that Fr. Alia’s supporters claim to have disrupted.
Herman Hembe, the ADC candidate, brings considerable legislative experience, having represented Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency for 12 years. He has also had a turbulent political journey involving defections, electoral contests and a Supreme Court judgment that removed him from the House of Representatives following the 2015 election.
Hembe’s campaign emphasises security, free basic education, improved tertiary education, workers’ welfare, government presence across the state and respect for local government autonomy.
His experience and familiarity with the electorate are valuable, but he must overcome the difficulty of explaining why voters should replace an incumbent whose administration is already implementing some of the issues he has identified.
Damian Adagba of the APM presents a BENUE RESET agenda that focuses on structural rebalancing, institutional efficiency, fiscal sustainability, empowered enterprise and transparent governance.
His vision of a secure, self-sustaining and industrialising Benue, driven by modern agriculture, enterprise development and sustainable public finance, addresses some of the state’s most fundamental economic challenges.
The question is whether his campaign can translate an impressive policy framework into sufficient political traction to challenge an incumbent with an established grassroots structure.
Dr. Matthias Byuan of the Labour Party, popularly known as Dollar Senator, has built his political identity around wealth redistribution and what he describes as stomach infrastructure. His argument is that Benue has sufficient resources to improve the living conditions of its people and that the state’s treasury belongs to the people.
Dr. Byuan’s populist appeal could resonate with voters experiencing economic hardship. However, he must demonstrate the administrative and intellectual capacity required to translate public resources into sustainable development. His previous remarks about opening the state’s purse for powerful political figures to spend as they wished could also complicate his argument for responsible financial management.
Chief Mike Aondoakaa, SAN, the PDP candidate, brings substantial legal, administrative and business experience. A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, he has also distinguished himself in private legal practice and rice production through Miva Rice.
His campaign focuses on wealth creation, youth empowerment, security, education, healthcare, pension reforms, institutional restructuring and commercial agriculture.
Chief Aondoakaa’s experience in the Federal Government and private sector gives him a strong profile. His challenge, however, includes the baggage of controversies associated with his tenure as Attorney-General, particularly the handling of compensation to victims of the Zaki Biam massacre. The political argument over the rotation of power within the Tiv political blocs could also affect his prospects.
Prof. Sebastine Hon, SAN, the SDP candidate, presents a different proposition. A distinguished legal practitioner and academic, he is campaigning on a Rescue and Rebuild Agenda built around security, economic revival, education, healthcare and infrastructure.
His supporters argue that Benue North West deserves an opportunity to produce the governor after the emergence of Fr. Alia from Benue North East. But the argument must contend with the political expectation that an incumbent who has served one term should be allowed another four years, particularly where the established zoning arrangement is interpreted as favouring continuity within the existing power bloc.
Prof. Hon’s professional pedigree and policy credentials are not in doubt. His challenge is to persuade voters that a change of government is more desirable than consolidating the current administration.
The advantage of incumbency and continuity
One significant advantage Fr. Alia enjoys is the opportunity to build on existing programmes rather than begin a new administration with fresh policy formulations, personnel changes and institutional adjustments.
His Strategic Development Plan for a Greater Benue is anchored on seven pillars: Security of lives and property; agriculture and rural development; commerce and industry; human capital and social development; infrastructure and environment; information and communications technology; and political and economic governance.
These pillars provide a framework through which the governor can present his first-term interventions and explain what remains to be accomplished.
His administration has also demonstrated an ability to mobilise political support beyond the immediate religious constituency from which he emerged.
That Fr. Alia is a Catholic priest does not appear to have restricted his appeal to Catholics. His support cuts across religious and community boundaries, while his humanitarian background continues to contribute to his public image.
Another significant political advantage was his appointment as coordinator of the presidential and National Assembly election campaigns in Benue during the 2023 general election. It was an unusual arrangement in which a governorship candidate was entrusted with coordinating the campaign for the presidential and legislative contests. The subsequent APC victories demonstrated his capacity to mobilise support beyond his immediate governorship ambition.
He is therefore not merely a governor seeking another term; he is also a politician who has demonstrated an ability to influence electoral outcomes across different levels of government.
What about Sam Ode?
Fr. Alia’s running mate, Deputy Governor Sam Ode, PhD, also adds value to the ticket.
A former Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, former Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and former Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Dr. Ode brings considerable administrative and political experience.
His involvement in rural development and local government administration, alongside his experience in federal public service, gives the ticket an additional layer of institutional knowledge.
His political base in Benue South also strengthens the geographical spread of the APC ticket, while his reputation for supporting young people through educational assistance and other interventions adds to his grassroots appeal.
The Fr. Alia-Ode combination consequently offers a measure of political balance and continuity that the opposition candidates must work to counter.
The Sen Akume question and the road to February
Perhaps no political development will be watched more closely than Senator Akume’s eventual position in the 2027 governorship contest.
Sen Akume has historically played a major role in determining who emerges as governor in Benue. Yet, his political disagreements with successive beneficiaries of his support have often raised questions about the limits of his influence, particularly when those governors seek re-election.
The present disagreement with Fr. Alia is therefore significant.
Some of Sen Akume’s loyalists appear determined to challenge the governor’s return, while the strategic partnership debate has further complicated the APC’s internal politics.
But there is a difference between controlling political structures and controlling voters. The 2023 election demonstrated that Fr. Alia could mobilise a substantial electorate outside the traditional calculations of political godfathers.
If he can sustain that connection, the opposition within the APC may discover that its influence is not necessarily equivalent to electoral strength.
Still, the governor must not underestimate the political consequences of internal divisions. A divided ruling party can make an otherwise comfortable re-election contest unnecessarily difficult.
The verdict
At this stage, Fr. Alia appears to have the clearest head start in the race for the 2027 Benue governorship. His popularity, incumbency, grassroots appeal, record of infrastructure development, regular payment of salaries and pensions, and the promise of continuity constitute formidable advantages.
His challengers have experience, impressive professional pedigrees and policy propositions. Some have occupied important public offices, while others have developed detailed blueprints for the state’s economic transformation. But none has yet established a compelling argument that sufficiently outweighs the advantages of the incumbent.
That does not mean Fr. Alia is invincible. His handling of security, the management of political grievances, the economic circumstances of ordinary citizens and the sustainability of his development programmes will all come under scrutiny.
Ultimately, the greatest danger to his second-term ambition may not be the opposition parties but a combination of internal APC divisions, disappointed political interests and voters who feel that the administration has not done enough.
Yet, if the election is substantially about performance, continuity and the opportunity to consolidate ongoing development, Fr. Alia has a persuasive case to make.
The opposition must sell a better alternative. The governor must prove that four more years under his leadership will deliver a greater Benue.
In February 2027, the electorate will have the final word. But as the race gathers momentum, Fr. Alia is certainly not the man playing catch-up.
