The Benue State Government has denied allegations by Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), that thugs allegedly working for Governor Hyacinth Alia prevented him from accessing Yelewata to sympathise with families affected by the 2025 attacks.
In a statement on Tuesday by Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the state government described Obi’s allegation as “unfounded” and an attempt to drag the Alia administration into what it suggested could be an internal dispute within the NDC.
The government said it had no knowledge of the alleged incident and questioned whether Obi actually visited Makurdi, the state capital, on Tuesday.
“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has an idea of what Mr. Obi is talking about,” the statement said.
It further argued that if Obi’s presence in the state had raised any security concerns, recognised security agencies, rather than thugs, would have been responsible for addressing them.
“Let it be known that Mr. Peter Obi is not a threat to Governor Alia in any way. Even if he actually visited the state, and we realized that he is a threat to anyone, the security agencies are there to handle the issue, not thugs,” the statement added.
According to the government, Alia is committed to the rule of law and does not engage, patronise or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security.
It also questioned why a presidential candidate would visit the state without, according to the government, formally informing the relevant security authorities.
“Ordinarily, such a visit would attract the attention and necessary security coordination involving the Commissioner of Police and other relevant security agencies,” Kula said.
The government also suggested that any disagreements involving Obi and members of his party in Benue should be resolved within the NDC rather than attributed to the state government.
“If Mr. Obi is confronted with disagreements or internal political challenges within his party structure in Benue State, those issues should be resolved within the party rather than being conveniently transferred to the State Government,” the statement said.
It said the Alia administration would remain focused on governance, security and the welfare of Benue residents, while urging the public to disregard allegations linking the government to the reported incident.
“Benue remains open to legitimate visitors, political actors and all Nigerians who come in peace,” the statement added.