Akume vs Alia: No two governors in Benue – APC chieftain, Ottah Agbo

Former House of Representatives member and All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain, Francis Ottah Agbo, has addressed the ongoing political tension in Benue State.

Ottah dismissed claims of a leadership crisis and criticized what he called “hangers-on” who are fueling divisions within the state’s political terrain.

In an interview with TCV Politics on Sunday, Ottah stated that there is no truth to the narrative suggesting the existence of two governors in Benue.

“Governor Hyacinth Alia is the sitting governor of Benue State. There are no two governors,” he stated.

Ottah expressed disappointment over what he described as deliberate attempts by a small group of individuals to delegitimize Governor Alia’s leadership for personal political gain.

“These hangers-on, supporters who thrive on manufactured crises are exploiting the situation. They’re spreading rumours, perhaps to endear themselves to powerful individuals,” he said.

Drawing on historical precedence, Ottah highlighted how past governors, including George Akume, Governor Gabriel Suswam and Governor Samuel Ortom, all exercised full control during their tenures.

“Now, Governor Alia is the man in charge, he’s not just in government, he is in power,” he affirmed.

The APC chieftain revealed that he personally confronted some of the young agitators spreading falsehoods and propaganda aimed at undermining the governor.

He dismissed insinuations that Governor Alia is not the leader of the APC in Benue, stressing that by party tradition and structure, the sitting governor is the party’s leader in the state.

However, Ottah lamented that progress had been interrupted by attacks from armed militias in Akawe, urging that the governor be allowed to work without distractions.

Responding to calls for the National Assembly to intervene in Benue’s political matters, Ottah was unambiguous.

Citing respected legal opinions, including those of Femi Falana SAN, he declared that the National Assembly lacks the constitutional authority to summon or intervene in the affairs of a sitting governor or state assembly.

He dismissed the recent protest organized by a so-called “Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law” as a sham and accused its organizers of being unqualified law students recruited for political purposes.

“The National Assembly has no jurisdiction over a state governor or the state assembly. They are co-equal in structure,” Ottah explained.

“Only in extreme circumstances like war or total legislative collapse can there be intervention, and even then, it is temporary.”