Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, on Wednesday dismissed reports claiming he was planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC), calling them false and politically motivated.
The rumours suggested that Alia had secretly met with former Senate President and ex-PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to discuss a supposed defection.
Reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Terso, the governor described the claims as “laughable, malicious, and part of a smear campaign” aimed at distracting him from governance and misleading the presidency for political gain.
The statement, titled “Mischievous Fake Story on Governor Alia’s Alleged Defection to ADC,” clarified that all Alia’s meetings with elders and state leaders, including Ayu, were purely consultative and in the spirit of inclusivity, with no political or religious motives.
Alia also met other respected figures such as Senator David Iornem, Elder David Amo, and Ambassador Terhemen Tarzoor as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the APC across Benue State.
The statement added:
“Under the clear directives of His Excellency, opposition structures across Benue are collapsing into the APC, with defection ceremonies happening in virtually all local government areas. Influential individuals are leaving their former parties to join the ruling party in unprecedented numbers.
Governor Alia remains fully committed to building a united and dominant APC in Benue State.
He is prepared to engage even the fiercest political opponents and bring them into the party as part of a broader strategy for 2027 consolidation, both for his administration and for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The governor urged the public to ignore the social media claims, warning that such misinformation could create confusion and weaken the growing strength of the APC in Benue State.
