Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has lambasted the state’s governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2023 election, Hyacinth Alia, over the latter’s campaign utterances.
Reports shows that Alia had, while campaigning in Mbatiav, Gboko on Sunday, reeled out how he would spend Benue’s money if elected governor of the state in 2023, stating that his government would be different from the previous ones.
Reacting, Ortom, in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser, Media & Publicity, Terver Akase, said the suspended Catholic priest has “never stated how he will improve the revenue sources of the state and create wealth for the people” but only speaks on how to spend money.
The statement alleged that the APC candidate is now a song composer for the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket, stating that he has never condemned the unprovoked herdsmen attacks on Benue communities or sympathized with families of the victims.
According to Akase, Alia’s refusal to condemn attacks on Benue residents had fueled speculations that he is being sponsored by enemies of the Benue people to deprive them of their ancestral lands.
“The belligerent APC candidate ought to face his legion of litigations arising from the yahoo yahoo primaries conducted by the party which produced him.
“That is a hurdle he must cross before considering himself a contestant in the 2023 elections”, he added.