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If anyone still nursed doubts about who truly holds the soul of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, the thunderous mega decamping rally that rocked Gboko at the weekend has buried them for good.
Thousands of former PDP, LP and APGA members trooped out in their numbers to pitch tent with the ruling APC, and right in the middle of it all stood Honourable Emmanuel Terungwa Iorbee – Principal Special Assistant to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Protocol and Wardrobe – smiling, coordinating and proving once again why he has become the administration’s most reliable foot soldier at the grassroots.
Political observers who witnessed the event say the crowd was one of the largest ever assembled for a decamping ceremony in the state, with defectors drawn from all eleven wards of Gboko Local Government and neighbouring councils. Traditional rulers, women groups, youth organisations and market associations all turned out in colourful attire to declare open support for the Alia government.
Sources close to the governor describe Iorbee as the silent engine driving the administration’s popularity in the Tiv-speaking zone. From quietly mobilising resources for community projects to ensuring that every ward feels the presence of government, the soft-spoken aide has built a reputation for loyalty without noise and effectiveness without drama.
“Hon. Iorbee is not the type that makes noise on radio or Facebook,” one APC chieftain told this blog. “He simply delivers. When the governor needs a crowd, he calls Iorbee. When he needs peace in a troubled ward, he sends Iorbee. When he needs accurate feedback from the villages, it is Iorbee he trusts. That is why you saw that sea of heads in Gboko – it was organic, not rented.”
The rally has effectively silenced recent whispers of internal crisis within the state chapter of the APC. With Iorbee and other loyalists firmly on ground, the message from Gboko was clear: Governor Alia enjoys overwhelming grassroots support and the party machinery is intact and firing on all cylinders ahead of future contests.
As the defectors took turns to burn their old party cards and collect APC brooms, the chant that rented the air was simple and direct: “Alia the better!” – a slogan that has now become the unofficial anthem of the administration.
Political analysts say events like the Gboko decamping have further consolidated Governor Alia’s grip on the party and sent a strong warning to anyone still contemplating 2027 from the opposition flank: the people have made their choice, and Hon. Iorbee and his army of silent workers are making sure that choice sticks.
