Former Governor Samuel Ortom on Saturday accused the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia of attacking him and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, as a means of diverting attention from issues confronting the state.

Ortom, who spoke through his former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Terver Akase, said the recent attacks by the governor and his media aides had failed to address questions arising from the reported obstruction of the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Party (NDC) in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, during his recent visit to Benue State.

He said rather than explain the circumstances surrounding Obi’s movement in Makurdi while on a humanitarian visit to internally displaced persons (IDPs), the administration had focused on attacking its political opponents.

He noted that the government should account for the resources accruing to the state since the removal of the fuel subsidy and explain how the funds had been deployed to projects and services across the 23 local government areas.

Ortom also questioned the administration’s response to insecurity, agriculture, infrastructure, employment, education, healthcare and the welfare of displaced persons, saying these issues would be more important to voters ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

He further criticised what he described as the government’s response to the security situation in Ayilamo, Logo Local Government Area, where residents and security personnel were reportedly killed in an attack by armed men.

The former governor said the reported attack should attract greater attention from the government, given its responsibility for the protection of lives and property in the state.

Ortom, while reacting to the allegation that he was secretly supporting Obi while publicly backing President Bola Tinubu, described the claim as contradictory.

He said he supported Obi during the 2023 presidential election openly, while his subsequent support for Tinubu was also publicly declared.

He also rejected attempts to link him to the controversy surrounding Obi’s visit to Benue, describing such claims as politically motivated.

The former governor instead alleged that the growing attacks on Aondoakaa showed that the PDP candidate had emerged as a major challenger to the governor ahead of the 2027 election.

He maintained that the attention being given to Aondoakaa by the Alia camp indicated that the PDP candidate was being regarded as a serious political challenger.

Ortom posited that Aondoakaa had presented himself as an alternative focused on security, accountability, local government autonomy and the return of displaced persons to their ancestral communities.

He stressed that the PDP candidate had also pledged to enforce the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017, in order to secure farming communities and create conditions for farmers to return to their farms.

He therefore urged the Alia administration to focus on its record in office rather than attacks on political opponents, saying the 2027 election would ultimately be determined by the performance of the government.

“The 2027 contest in Benue State will not be about propaganda or insults. It will be a referendum on failure versus competence, excuses versus solutions and misplaced priorities versus purposeful leadership,” the former governor posited. (Daily Trust)