The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has dismissed claims that he plans to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Naijaonpoint understands that a report has been circulating on social media that the governor was planning to defect after a purported “secret meeting” with Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, described the claim as fake and labelled the story a “wicked, mischievous, and vicious smear campaign”
The government clarified that Governor Alia routinely visits elder statesmen and national figures without political or religious bias, noting that such engagements are consistent with his inclusive approach to leadership.
According to the statement, the governor considers visits to respected leaders, including those of Sen. Ayu’s standing, as normal and aligned with his development-focused agenda.
The statement further highlighted that Governor Alia has consistently reached out to influential stakeholders in Benue, many of whom have since joined the APC.
It added that the APC in Benue has continued to attract opposition figures across various local government areas, with defection events reportedly taking place on a regular basis.
“Such engagements have strengthened the party rather than weakened it,” the statement noted.
The government insisted that the true political situation in the state is the steady expansion of the APC under Governor Alia, not the “fiction being circulated by mischief makers.”
Governor Alia, it said, remains committed to strengthening the party ahead of 2027 and is open to engaging even his strongest opponents as part of a broader consolidation plan for his administration and for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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