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Fresh controversy has engulfed political circles in Benue State following serious allegations that a Makurdi-based political actor, Haakyav Tombu Peter, received ₦3 million from an unnamed sponsor to orchestrate a coordinated media and public campaign targeting appointees of Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
According to multiple sources who spoke to Benue Info-pedia, the transaction allegedly took place near Doo Palace Hotel in Makurdi, where the sum — reportedly in ₦1,000 denominations — was handed over to bankroll what was described as a deliberate offensive aimed at demeaning and discrediting selected appointees of the present administration. The sources further claimed that a white GAC Jeep was arranged for the sponsor through a car dealer shortly before Governor Alia publicly donated vehicles to some officials, a sequence of events they described as suspiciously timed.
The sponsor was said to have urged Mr. Peter to exploit his perceived closeness to government circles in order to launch the attacks, with promises of continued financial backing. Sources also alleged that the sponsor had recently lost significant goodwill within his immediate constituency.
The claims referenced a separate earlier incident during the birthday celebration of an architect, where Mr. Peter reportedly accompanied the Executive Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BiRS) and left the event with items purportedly intended for promoting the governor.
Critics have seized on the allegations to accuse Mr. Peter of double standards, arguing that accepting funds from appointees while publicly projecting support for the governor’s achievements, only to later turn around and attack those same appointees when sponsored, amounts to hypocrisy. They contend that sustained attacks on the governor’s appointees indirectly undermine the governor himself.
Questions have intensified over Mr. Peter’s repeated public assertions that he neither accepts inducements nor tolerates insults. Calls have grown louder for him to provide a clear explanation of the source of the alleged ₦3 million reportedly displayed or used in the campaign. Sources insist that evidence exists, including testimonies from individuals said to have been present at the meeting.
As of press time, Mr. Peter had not issued any public response to the allegations. Efforts to obtain official comments from the Benue State Government, the BiRS chairman, and other individuals named in connection with the claims were unsuccessful.
The unfolding controversy has sparked widespread debate in Makurdi and beyond about political funding, loyalty, accountability, and the ethics of sponsored attacks in the state’s charged political environment. Observers warn that if left unaddressed, the matter could further polarize opinions and deepen mistrust among key stakeholders in Governor Alia’s administration.
