Benue State Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has cautioned Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso to face his politicking in Kano state and show respect to Benue’s mandate.
The Governor who stated this through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula,was reacting to Kwankwaso’s outburst against him over the recent issues surrounding Mrs Peter Obi’s visit to the state.
Kula described Kwankwaso’s outburst against his principal, Governor Hyacinth Alia as an unfortunate and unwarranted insult that does little to advance constructive political discourse.
The Chief Press Secretary, in a statement made available to newsmen, said “We understand his misplaced grudge against Governor Alia.
“He is angry because his principal, Mr. Peter Obi, was sneaked into Benue without proper coordination, after which he falsely accused the Governor of disrupting the visit.
“Obi’s drama was completely set up by those who are desperate to give Governor Alia a bad name, and if, up to this point, Kwankwaso is yet to understand that Obi was used, we are compelled to wonder whether he is truly a politician who understands the politics of this region.”
Kula maintained that Governor Alia, who he described as a Reverend gentleman, was elected by the people of Benue State, and his mandate should be respected by any sane citizen, regardless of political differences.
He said “Someone needs to tell the former Governor of Kano State that, rather than interfering in Benue’s internal affairs or making unfounded claims about the relationship between Governor Alia and Senator George Akume, he should focus on the political challenges confronting him in Kano.
“The concerns surrounding his party’s difficulty in finding political footing and his fast-declining political influence there deserve his attention more than personal attacks on another state’s governor.
“Kwankwaso should be advised to stop insulting the sensibilities of Benue people, as the people are capable of judging their government and deciding their political future.
“Kwankwaso should face Kano politics. He has enough to explain about why his party performed so abysmally in the last by-elections conducted in his state. He must respect the people’s mandate in Benue and offer ideas, not insults.”
