From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Former Governorship aspirants in 2023 under the Kunav extraction have thrown their weight behind Governor Hyacinth Alia’s second term bid.
This comes against the backdrop of last week’s comments by joint Kunav governorship aspirants for 2027 election criticizing the Governor’s performance and vowing to unseat him in 2027.
Spokesperson of the group and former Benue State Commissioner for Information Dr Cletus Akwaya alongside Dr Boniface Jirbo, Pharm Hon. Peter Chieshe, Dr Zua Tule, Chief Mrs Suzan Waya at a press conference in Makurdi on Monday, said since the 2023 elections were won by Governor Alia and following his olive branch to other contenders from Vandeikya, he (Alia) demonstrated capacity to lead the people with empathy, courage and justice.
Dr Akwaya said they have since joined forces with Alia to develop Benue state as they are already making various contributions in that regard.
Said he, “we are convinced and the evidence abound that Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia is performing excellently well and deserves to be encouraged to do even more for the masses of Benue state. This is our point of departure with the ‘Joint Kunav Governorship Aspirants’, whose sole ambition is to succeed Rev Fr Alia in 2027.
“As democrats, we acknowledge the constitutional rights of our brothers from Kunavland to contest election to any position of their choice. However, it is our considered opinion that their ambition is ill-timed as it runs against the wave of popular opinion of most Kunav and indeed Benue people.
“Rev Fr Alia is doing well and has been variously endorsed to continue for a second term in office on account of his good works and demonstrated capacity to lead the people with empathy, courage and sense of justice.
“We believe that as Kunav leaders, who contested for this position before, we are well qualified to contest again but we have subsumed our personal ambition to the leadership of Fr Alia for the greater benefit of our people as he stands a better opportunity to forge ahead with his giant developmental strides. As the saying goes, you do not change a wining team in any football event. Fr Alia is a Winning Team for the people and does not need replacement.
“He (Governor Alia) needs the support of all well meaning Kunav sons and daughters. And we hasten to make the clarification, lest we are misconstrued that our decision to actively and totally support Fr Alia is NOT born out of timidity, inferiority complex, lack of capacity to provide qualitative leadership or lack of logistics, financial and human resources to contest for the governorship seat. Far from it. As our antecedents and pedigrees show, we are very much well placed to challenge Fr Alia, but we have voluntarily opted out for the stability, speedy progress and development of our state, which is guaranteed under the Alia leadership.
“While we contested for the position, we entered into an accord with a maxim: ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL”. By this motto, we resolved to support anyone of us that would eventually emerge as Governor of the state and that the winner will represent our interests and aspirations in providing service to the people
We wish to declare here without any equivocation that Governor Hyacinth Alia has demonstrated very clearly that he is a Team player and willing to carry along all his Kunav brothers and Sisters, who contested the position with him. He has manifestly represented our intentions and plans to develop the state, hence our support.
“We, therefore, call on all members of the “United Kunav Governorship Aspirants” to respect the agreement we earlier entered into and realign with Governor Hyacinth Alia in the same way some of us have done.
In this regard, we commend the PDP flag bearer in the 2023 governorship election, Rt. Hon. Titus Uba, who has also declared support for Fr Alia and endorsed him for a second term in office. Other former aspirants from Jechira land (Vandeikya/Konhisha)LGAs like our leader, Chief Senator Barnabas Gemade and Chief Julius Atorough had earlier declared support for the Governor and are actively working with him to bring development to the people of Benue state. This is the best way to go.
Although these our brothers are well known to us and we can reach any one of them privately, we have made our appeal in the public domain because the issue under discourse is the leadership of Benue state, which affects over six million people and thus transcends any private relationship no matter how strong the ties might be. This informs our public engagement with them.
“For us, we have categorically declared our unalloyed support and loyalty to Fr Hyacinth Alia, because we are convinced by the good works of his administration and the grand plans and intentions he has to transform the development landscape of Benue State”.
