Group faults petition by guber aspirants against Gov Alia

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

A group known as Kunav Progressive Academics has faulted a petition written by some governorship aspirants against Benue State Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia.

Note that, a coalition of gubernatorial aspirants from Vandeikya LGA(home country of the governor) had petitioned the Catholic bishops in the state raising alarm over what they described as the misuse of church platform for political intimidation and violent rhetoric involving the Benus governor.

The petition dated February 27,2026 the group urged the catholic biships of Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo and Katsina-Ala to preserve the sanctity and neutrality of church spaces.

Responding, the Kunav Progressive Academics at a press briefing in Makurdi on Monday, said the petitioners including Surveyor Godwin Ityoachimin, Hon. Joseph Waya, Rt. Hon. Dominic Ucha, Prof. Paul Angya, Prof. Denis Ityavyar, and Prof. Terhemba Shija did not write the petition out of genuine pastoral concern, but a carefully scripted political manifesto disguised as a religious complaint.

The group faulted the petition as ‘half-truths’ presented as facts, metaphors twisted into malice, and ambition dressed in the garb of piety.

They said the Governor is not a sectional leader as he was elected by the majority of votes across Tiv, Idoma, and Igede lands.

Spokesperson of the group Prof Daniel Chile posited that while the pettiness speak of rhetoric and threats, they will speak of roads constructed, salaries paid, industries revived, and lives transformed, adding that while they weaponize the pulpit, they will defend the sanctuary.

Said he, “the misrepresentation of the Tsenge Incident. The petitioners’ account of the event at All Saints Catholic Church in Tsenge on January 18, 2026, is a classic case of taking words out of context to manufacture outrage.

“Governor Alia was not delivering a political campaign speech; he was addressing the congregation and his well-wishers during the Thanksgiving ceremony, a cultural and religious event in which it is customary for the guest of honour to offer exhortations.

“The metaphorical language attributed to the Governor, specifically regarding “biting fingers” and “beheading,” is a deliberate and malicious misinterpretation of indigenous rhetoric. In Tiv socio-political discourse, such proverbial expressions are traditionally used to emphasize the need for resilience, vigilance, and self-defense against political persecution. To equate these idioms with a literal endorsement of violence is either intellectually dishonest or a sign of a weak grasp of Tiv communication nuances.

“Furthermore, the Governor was responding to years of documented political persecution, targeted attacks, and institutional sabotage by certain vested interests who feel threatened by his administration’s anti-corruption stance. When a leader speaks of self-defense in his native land, it is a statement of resolve, not a call for physical assault.

Pattern or Pretext? The August 2025 Incident

The petitioners referenced an incident at St. George Catholic Church in Tyobo regarding the Ter Gboko. Again, context is missing. The Governor has consistently advocated for respect for constituted traditional authority. If there were tensions, they were matters of political realignment and local governance, not threats issued from the pulpit. To frame routine political interaction as “intimidation” is a stretch designed to fit a pre-determined narrative of victimhood.

“The Real “Desecration”: Politicizing the Pulpit for Ambition. We submit that the true desecration of sacred space is not the Governor’s attendance at Mass, where he is entitled to worship as a Catholic, but the act of reducing church gatherings to a venue for filing political petitions. The Vandeikya aspirants have used the Church’s name and the letterhead of a religious complaint to pursue a naked political agenda:

“Governor Alia is a priest who heeded the people’s call to serve in the temporal order. His presence in the church is first and foremost as a baptized Catholic seeking the Eucharist. To suggest that his former clerical status is a tool for “gaining access to pulpits” is offensive to the clergy and priesthood generally. Our priests and Bishops are men of integrity and sound theological grounding; they are not pawns to be manipulated by any politician.

“The Silence of the Aspirants on Real Issues

It is true that while these aspirants, many of whom have held public office, are deeply concerned about “rhetoric,” they have remained conspicuously silent about the tangible developmental strides of the Alia administration. Where was their petition when Benue State was drowning in unpaid salaries? Where was their concern for “sanctity” when previous administrations turned the government house into a den of inequity? Their selective amnesia reveals their true motive: they are not interested in the Church’s sanctity, but in capturing the Government House. This is unfortunate and should be condemned.

“Politics of Bitterness and the Moral Question of Petitioners

What is most unfortunate is that individuals who should ordinarily contribute to intellectual and political maturity in the state have chosen instead to embark on a campaign of sensationalism.

“Benue people are politically conscious and will not be misled by elite quarrels disguised as religious concern. If the signatories to this petition truly believe they have a better vision for the state, they should present that vision openly to the electorate rather than hide behind petitions and attempts to inflame religious sentiment.

“Since these aspirants have chosen to ignore development, we take this opportunity to remind the public of what Governor Hyacinth Alia has achieved in less than three years:

“The Governor has constructed and rehabilitated over 570km of urban and rural roads across the state, including inner-city roads in Makurdi, Gboko, and other major towns. The construction of the state’s first flyover is underway at the Wurukum roundabout and underpasses at High-Level roundabout, and Gyado Junction in Gboko, bringing modern infrastructure Benue has never seen before”.