Former Benue State Governor Chief Samuel Ortom has accused the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia of engaging in political witch-hunting, relying on propaganda and showing disregard for the rule of law over the past three years.
Speaking on the Arise News Morning Show on Tuesday, Ortom said the Alia government has adopted tactics aimed at silencing perceived opponents and undermining democratic governance in the state. He cited his recent consultations with kinsmen in Benue North-West Senatorial District ahead of his wife’s senatorial aspiration as an example, claiming that Governor Alia instructed traditional rulers in the affected communities not to attend the engagements. Ortom described the directive as an abuse of authority and an attempt to frustrate legitimate political activities.
He further stated that the administration has relied heavily on deceit and propaganda to shape public perception, though many residents are now aware of the tactics and are no longer persuaded by them. Ortom also accused the government of contempt for the rule of law, pointing to the seizure of official vehicles allocated to him as a former governor. He said he challenged the action in court and obtained a judgment in his favour, but nearly one year later the state government has failed to comply with the court order.
The former governor faulted the Alia administration for failing to fulfil key campaign promises, particularly on local government autonomy and grassroots development. Despite huge allocations to local governments following the removal of fuel subsidy, he said there is little or no evidence of meaningful development across the 23 local government areas of the state, apart from a few projects concentrated in Makurdi, the state capital.
Ortom expressed disappointment over what he described as the governor’s unwillingness to engage stakeholders on critical issues such as insecurity. He recalled that during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Benue after the Yelewata massacre of 2025, the President directed Governor Alia to convene a stakeholders’ meeting involving leaders from across the state to discuss security and other pressing issues. According to Ortom, that meeting has yet to be convened. He claimed the governor is running Benue “like a parish,” where critical decisions are effectively determined by one individual rather than through an inclusive and participatory system of governance.
On the evolving political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections, Ortom reaffirmed his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, stating that he would remain loyal to the position he had publicly declared. Within Benue State, however, he clarified that his support would be for the governorship ambition of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, as well as other candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Ortom maintained that his political engagements and interventions are motivated by his commitment to the welfare of Benue people, the protection of democratic values and the pursuit of accountable and inclusive governance in the state.
