Benue State Governor, Rev Fr. Hycinth Alia has described the outburst by the former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso against him as “an unfortunate and unwarranted insult” that does little to advance constructive political discourse.
Governor Alia in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, said that he understands his misplaced grudge against him by Kwankwaso primarily because his principal, Mr. Peter Obi, was sneaked into Benue State without proper coordination, after which he falsely accused the Governor of disrupting the visit.
The statement further said that Obi’s drama was completely set up by those who are desperate to give Governor Alia a bad name, stressing that if up to this point, Kwankwaso is yet to understand that Obi was used, the State Government is compelled to wonder whether he is truly a politician who understands the politics of the region.
The spokesperson to the Benue State Governor, noted that 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.
The statement further said; “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.
“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.
“Kwankwaso should be advised to stop insulting the sensibilities of Benue people, as the people are capable of judging their government and deciding their political future.
“Kwankwaso should face Kano politics. He has enough to explain about 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,” the statement stated.
