He said if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu truly issued the directive, he may have acted on incomplete or inaccurate intelligence regarding Benue’s political landscape and voter expectations, noting that the claim was not even independently verified to ascertain its veracity.
According to Kula, the unverified claim, if true, represents a “self-defeating” strategy that ignores deep-rooted zoning traditions and risks triggering a massive backlash against the APC.
The Governor’s Spokesman further said the Tiv principle of rotational leadership, known as “ya na angbian,” meaning “eat and pass to your brother,” has influenced political representation in Benue State, and attributed its introduction into national political discourse partly to the late Joseph Sarwuan Tarka.
He said Benue voters have often opposed extended control of elective offices by individual politicians, and cited former Senate President David Mark and former Benue State Governor, Sen. George Akume as examples of politicians who broke the rules by securing repeated mandates.
Describing such cases as relatively uncommon in the state’s political history, Governor Alia said: “Our people detest sitting tight in leadership. They prefer to rotate,” adding that attempts to disregard this preference could lead to protests or protest votes.
The governor, who said political parties in Benue have generally considered zoning and rotational arrangements when selecting candidates, linked the practice to voter expectations, cautioning that automatic tickets for all incumbent APC office holders, regardless of previous tenure or existing zoning agreements, could create internal divisions and weaken the party in the state.
Also questioning the motives behind the arrangement, the statement alleged a deliberate plot by rival political actors to sabotage the APC in Benue State and pin the blame on Governor Alia, just as warned that power-brokers are actively trying to neutralize the governor’s rising influence to protect their own political fiefdoms.
However, with these explosive claims surfacing as the ruling party grapples with heated internal debates over candidate selection, zoning formulas, and the strict conditions for re-election, political insiders argued that the debate reflects differing views on continuity for incumbent office holders and rotational arrangements that some political actors and communities regard as important to representation in Benue State.
