“If the Governor has made his position clear, those in the same party, the APC at the national level should equally make their positions clear. The time for political correctness is gone”.
BY ELIJAH TERDOO IKPANOR
So, I have this question for some critics: what happens now to those of you who rushed to social media to insinuate that Governor Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia had accepted the Federal Government’s proposed pilot ranching programme in Benue State? What happens to those who had already concluded that the Governor was preparing to surrender Benue land to Fulani herders, even before there was any evidence that such an agreement had been reached? Governor Alia has now spoken, and his position could not have been clearer.
In Adikpo yesterday, Monday, 24th August 2026, during his thank-you visit to Kwande, the Governor stated: “So the people insinuating in the social media that we are accepting pilot ranching, as your Governor I lead the resistance of ranching more than the Tiv who resist it. There will be no ranches in my 8 years as your Governor of Benue State.”
That statement should now settle the matter. The Governor has not merely confirmed that he is not accepting pilot ranches; he has gone further to declare that there will be no ranches in Benue State throughout his eight-year tenure. This is, therefore, the moment for those of you who, because of politics, accused him to pause, reflect and, if you have the courage and integrity to do so, apologise.
My disappointment, as I stated the other time, is that some people did not wait for the Governor to clarify his position. As soon as a Federal Government proposal was presented, and before the process could even unfold, out of sentiments, political conclusions were drawn. A proposal was transformed into an agreement by the Governor, an alleged agreement was transformed into an implementation plan, and the implementation plan was presented to the public as evidence that Governor Alia had decided to surrender Benue land to Fulani herders. On the basis of these assumptions, the Governor was portrayed as having betrayed the very people he was elected to lead.
Yesterday, to their shame, Governor Alia has now removed the ambiguity. He has placed his position squarely before the people of Benue: there will be no ranches in Benue State during his eight years as Governor. In fact, his statement goes further by asserting that he has led the resistance against ranching, even more strongly than those who have traditionally resisted the policy. Whether one supports Governor Alia politically or not, that position deserves to be acknowledged honestly.
If you accused the Governor of accepting pilot ranches, and the Governor has now publicly declared that he will not permit them during his tenure, the responsible thing to do is to withdraw the accusation. An apology does not diminish anyone; rather, it demonstrates integrity, maturity and respect for truth. There is nothing shameful about admitting that one acted on incomplete information or reached a conclusion that subsequent facts have disproved.
Benue people have every right to be vigilant about land, agriculture, security and the future of their communities. Our painful experiences with herders-farmers conflicts have made such vigilance necessary. However, vigilance must be guided by facts. We cannot protect Benue by creating imaginary agreements, attributing policies to our Governor, or manipulating our people with claims that have not been established.
It is perfectly legitimate to criticise Governor Alia where he deserves criticism. It is legitimate to demand transparency from his administration and to hold him accountable for every decision that affects the people of Benue. There is no problem with that. But it is unfair and intellectually dishonest to accuse him of surrendering Benue land for pilot ranches. What do you do now that he has expressly and publicly stated that no such ranches will exist in Benue during his tenure?
Governor Alia has spoken, and his position is now on record. He has made a clear commitment concerning pilot ranches in Benue State during his tenure. Those who accused him should, therefore, allow his own words to speak for him now. They should acknowledge that the claim that he had already agreed to establish pilot ranches in Benue was premature and unsupported by the Governor’s stated position.
At this point, I also challenge other APC stakeholders from Benue State to join the Governor in making their positions known. Let those who occupy positions of influence also say something clearly and unequivocally. The people of Benue deserve to hear directly from them.
If the Governor has made his position clear, those in the same party, the APC at the national level should equally make their positions clear. The time for political correctness is gone. The Benue people are watching, and they deserve to know where every stakeholder stands. On an issue as sensitive as land and ranching, silence should not be allowed to create the impression of correctness.
…Elijah Terdoo Ikpanor, Ph.D, writes from Tsar-Mbaduku Vandeikya LGA
