Join our WhatsApp channel HERE for the latest Benue news and updates!
Barely 24 hours after Benue State warmly welcomed Africa’s first woman in space, a fresh political storm is brewing in the state as students of Gboko, Makurdi, and other tertiary institutions under the aegis of the National Association of Gbemacha Students (NAGS) have issued a strong ultimatum, threatening a statewide mass protest if the suspended former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, is not reinstated.
In a statement released late Monday night, December 2, 2025, the student body accused the state government of deliberately silencing one of their own and using the prolonged suspension as a tool of political intimidation. They described the continued absence of Dajoh from the Assembly as unjust and a direct attack on the voices of the Tiv youth and the Gbemacha-speaking people of Benue.
The students argue that since the suspension was imposed several months ago over alleged misconduct, no clear timeline or transparent process for resolution has been communicated, leaving their representative effectively gagged and the constituency unrepresented.
“We will not fold our hands and watch our son and leader be treated like this,” a part of the statement circulating widely on social media read. “If by the end of this week the suspension is not lifted or a clear path to justice shown, we will mobilize thousands of students and youths across Benue for a total shutdown.”
The threat comes at a delicate time for the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia, which has been basking in the positive publicity from Monday’s high-profile visit by Egyptian astronaut Sara Sabry. Political observers say the brewing crisis in the Assembly, which has remained without a substantive Speaker since the suspension and subsequent leadership changes, could undermine the government’s image of unity and progress.
Dajoh, a two-term lawmaker and youthful figure who rose rapidly to the speakership, still enjoys significant followership among young people in the state, especially in his Sankera axis constituency. Many see his suspension as part of a broader power struggle within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue.
As of the time of filing this report, the state government is yet to respond officially to the students’ threat. Sources within the Government House, however, indicate that efforts are being made behind the scenes to calm the situation.
One week, one ultimatum, and a state on edge: will Governor Alia’s administration move to resolve the lingering Assembly crisis, or will the streets of Makurdi, Gboko, and Katsina-Ala soon echo with the footsteps of angry students? The coming days will tell.
