Alia’s govt is witch-hunting opponents — Ortom

Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has accused his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, of undermining democratic principles, disregarding court decisions and shutting out political and traditional stakeholders from governance.

Ortom made the allegations during an interview with Arise News while discussing the political situation in Benue ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The former governor said the Alia administration had spent more than three years in office without demonstrating sufficient commitment to the rule of law, alleging that the government had resorted to witch-hunting political opponents.

“What we are witnessing in the last three years and some months is that here is a government that doesn’t believe in the rule of law, but believes in witch hunting, believes in running opponents down,” Ortom said.

He cited the seizure of 23 official vehicles allocated to him and members of his former administration as an example of what he described as the government’s disregard for legal procedures.

According to Ortom, the vehicles had been approved by the State Executive Council as used assets after serving the government for more than four years. He alleged that they were subsequently taken away without prior notice.

Ortom said he challenged the action in court and secured a judgment ordering the return of the vehicles, alongside N5 million in damages.

However, he alleged that the government had yet to comply with the judgment despite not appealing it.

“As I talk to you those vehicles have not been given to me. He hasn’t even appealed,” he said.

The former governor also alleged that Alia recently directed traditional rulers in the state not to receive him when he visited his kinsmen to discuss his wife’s senatorial ambition.

“The governor directed that no chief should receive me, and I shouldn’t speak to any of them,” Ortom claimed.

He further accused the administration of failing to convene broad-based stakeholders’ meetings since taking office, arguing that the absence of such engagements was weakening inclusiveness in governance.

On local government administration, Ortom claimed that council autonomy in Benue existed largely on paper, alleging that local government chairmen lacked the freedom to independently execute projects and properly account for their activities.

The former governor also took aim at Alia’s pre-election image as a healing priest, contrasting it with his assessment of the governor’s performance in office.

“No single person can say that I was healed by Alia’s ministry,” Ortom said, adding that Benue residents had been “deceived” and were now seeing a difference between campaign promises and the reality of governance.

Ortom also faulted the state government’s handling of security issues. He recalled that President Bola Tinubu, following the Yelewata massacre, had directed Alia to convene former governors, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to work towards finding lasting solutions to insecurity.

“Our governor has refused to summon that meeting,” Ortom said.

“He doesn’t listen to anybody. He says he’s an independent person, so it is what he wants that he does.”

He disclosed that he had met Alia before the governor’s inauguration, handed over notes and offered to support the new administration, but claimed their communication had since broken down.

“Since that meeting till today, the man hasn’t picked my call,” Ortom said.

The former governor attributed growing opposition to the Alia administration to what he described as increasing public dissatisfaction, saying politicians such as PDP governorship aspirant Michael Auduaka were gaining support because residents were seeking an alternative.

He said the people of Benue had “decided to move from what they were doing in 2023 to a different thing.”

Ortom also argued that Benue residents were yet to feel significant benefits from increased federal allocations following the removal of the fuel subsidy, claiming that development remained concentrated in Makurdi while little was visible across the state’s 23 local government areas.

Despite his criticism of Alia, Ortom said he would support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

He said he remained politically aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and that he and his supporters in Benue were working for Tinubu.

At the state level, Ortom said he would support candidates of his choice for governor, the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly, although he did not disclose their identities.

He maintained that accountability, accessibility and inclusion were fundamental to democratic governance.

“Democracy is about the people. So where you don’t allow the people to see you and talk to you… nothing is happening,” Ortom said.