Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has declared that he is not bothered by threats surrounding the emergence of the “Rainbow Coalition”, allegedly being mobilised against his administration ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He expressed confidence that his administration’s performance and level of acceptance among the people would ultimately determine his political fate in the 2027 election, insisting that his attention remained firmly fixed on reforms and improving the welfare of the people.
The governor said he was conscious of the political manoeuvrings taking place against his administration but would not allow them to divert his attention from his development agenda, which centres on infrastructure, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare and grassroots development.
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The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula, disclosed this on Wednesday while interacting with journalists at the Correspondents’ Chapel Secretariat in Makurdi.
He was responding to recent remarks attributed to the National Secretary of the Rainbow Coalition and factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Comrade Austin Agada, who reportedly vowed that the coalition and the APC would “teach Governor Alia a lesson” in 2027.
The Rainbow Coalition is reportedly linked to a wider political realignment associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
According to the CPS, Governor Alia was fully aware that his reform programme would generate resistance, particularly from interests that had benefited from the existing system.
Kula explained that those seeking to overhaul an established order should expect opposition from those determined to preserve the status quo.
“The governor is a reformer. A reformer has no friends because he has ideas. So, he is not afraid of any gang-up,” Kula said.
He maintained that Governor Alia would not be drawn into political distractions, stressing that the administration’s ultimate assessment would be based on its achievements and continued support from the electorate.
Kula said the governor’s reform-oriented leadership was symbolised by the chieftaincy title, “Asortar u Benue”, meaning “The Reformer of Benue State”, bestowed on him by the Tiv Traditional Council.
He also rejected insinuations that Governor Alia could be compelled to relinquish his political leadership to any individual, maintaining that the governor remained the leader of the APC in Benue and was accountable primarily to the people rather than to a faction of dissatisfied politicians.
On reports of a political rift between Governor Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the CPS said the governor would continue to navigate the political realities and peculiar circumstances of the state.
He noted that Benue’s political tradition had historically recognised rotational arrangements, adding that Governor Alia himself had emerged through such an arrangement.
Turning to the administration’s performance, Kula outlined what he described as significant accomplishments recorded in the state over the past three years.
He said the government had commenced an urban renewal programme in Makurdi, while the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads were progressing across various parts of the state.
According to him, the state government and the 23 local government councils were implementing a joint road development scheme under which the state contributed 60 per cent of the funding, while the councils provided the remaining 40 per cent.
He added that local government chairmen had been granted greater financial autonomy, enabling them to initiate development projects and respond more effectively to the needs of their respective communities.
In the health sector, Kula disclosed that at least four primary healthcare centres had been rehabilitated in each of the 23 local government areas.
He also cited developments at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, including the performance of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and complex neurosurgical procedures.
Other achievements, according to him, included the recruitment of about 9,700 teachers, the rehabilitation and revitalisation of the Otukpo Water Works, and the ongoing Food City project at Ogyoma Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area.
Kula further disclosed that the administration was making efforts to clear outstanding salary and pension liabilities, while the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) had risen to about N2 billion monthly.
He said the administration remained willing to collaborate with stakeholders across political divides who were genuinely committed to the progress of Benue State.
Kula stressed that Governor Alia would not allow political differences to undermine governance, noting that the administration’s priority was to deliver tangible development rather than become embroiled in political confrontations.
The CPS reiterated that the administration would continue to accommodate constructive criticism while pursuing its reform agenda, stressing that the ultimate decision on the governor’s political future in 2027 would rest with the people of Benue State, not political coalitions.
