Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue state has described the recent statement by the three Zonal Vice Chairmen of the party in the state against him as groundless allegations aimed at blackmailing him.
Recall that the Zonal Vice Chairmen of the party in the state had accused the Governor of humiliating the party and alienating its leaders and stakeholders among others.
But reacting in a statement on his verified social media page, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, said “we have read claims made by the Benue APC Zonal Vice Chairmen, and despite our aversion to straightforwardly label these assertions, we find no more fitting euphemisms than to characterise them as an amalgamation of fabrications or groundless allegations directed and aimed at blackmailing the leader of the party in the state, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.
“One such utter falsehood alleges that 80 percent of appointed caretaker chairmen were not part of the nominees sent to the Governor, suggesting opposition members took preponderance on the list. However, as we eagerly looked forward to seeing the evidence to this watery claim, there was none, giving it away as a mere figment of their imagination.
“Another fallacious claim holds that the widespread party dissatisfaction peaked with the Governor’s caretaker chairman announcement. That claim conveniently overlooks the fact that the Governor as the leader of the party in the state has the prerogative to subject suggested names to scrutiny.
“No sane Governor will accept wholly everything suggested to him hook, line and sinker. Sadly, it appears that the ‘party’ synonymizes suggestions with the Ten Commandments handed to Moses on Mount Sinai written on the two stone tablets.
“The three-man forerunner team further suggests that the Governor favours people outside the APC who allegedly worked against him during electioneering and voting phases. This appears more like petty resentments drawn from psychotic imagination, lacking any substantive basis.
“They also question the legitimacy of a meeting attended by notable party figures and statesmen like Sen. Barnabas Gemade, Sen. Ameh Ebute, Gen. Lawrence Onoja rtd, Navy Comdr Dan Ihinga rtd, Gen. India Garba rtd etc whom they derogatorily tagged ‘Emergency Stakeholders’ and hinted at a conspiratorial motive behind the meeting, insinuating a plot against the party. The irony of branding a seasoned politician in the class of Gemade with such a demeaning tag is truly enlightening.
“According to the three mature dancers of a proverbial drumming from the bush, their suspicion, they claim, was further fueled by the presence of Dr. Chile Igbawua, who is not an APC member. This unsubstantiated claim further exposes a desperate inclination on the part of the fabricators to link Rev. Fr. Alia with the opposition. They have also gone to town with the gleeful rumour that Gov. Alia has concluded plans to dump his party, the APC.
“They buried shame while constructing formal media statements from rumor mills, trivial gossip, and their whimsical imaginations, rather than relying on concrete facts.
“A particularly absurd claim says there is a formation and funding of a committee headed by Gen. Lawrence Onoja and Barr. Emmanuel Jime, supposedly tasked to perforate the Aso Villa and National Secretariat with a mandate to spread falsehoods against the party and the SGF.
“The desperation behind such fabrications raises concerns about the team’s motives. It is worth mentioning here that both party chieftains, specifically targeted as subjects of blackmail by the orchestrators, are people of impeccable reputation. They have diligently served both the party, the state, and the nation in various high-ranking capacities. It beguiles the imagination to fathom how these fabricators conjured the notion of reducing these distinguished party figures into mere errand henchmen for mischievous purposes.
“The narrative takes a shocking turn as the accusers declared the Benue APC’s staunch support for the Governor, insisting there’s no turning back. This claim contradicts the earlier narrative of discontent, further exposing the inconsistency in their fabricated stories.
“Lastly, the ‘party’ claims that the Governor has not made any financial contributions to the party, and they too have not asked him for money aside from the monthly dues, which they claim he has neglected to pay since assuming office. Wow! To cut short this discussion, we demand to speak with the books.
“It is unfortunate that amidst all this, the spinners of these fabrications might have at least made some sense had they expressed concerns about the governor’s performance or public dissatisfaction with his leadership style, perceiving potential repercussions for the party in future elections. However, what we read was an extensive narrative fixated on the elders and the party and shamelessly laced with falsehood in their desperate quest to discredit and blackmail Rev. Fr. Iormem Alia.
“While we acknowledge the consciousness in uniting Benue State and making it a better place for us and our children, we equally wish to submit that developing Benue State in all sectors is an imperative that sits boldly on the wish list of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
“Governor Alia understands the importance of unity and teamwork in achieving the above. He has been making frantic efforts towards maintaining a cordial working relationship with the leadership of his party.
“His continued funding of party activities, presence and funding of the expanded stakeholders meetings of APC in the state is an eloquent testimony of how he holds the party so dear to his heart.”