By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has challenged the Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, to name the politicians perpetrating the killings in the state.
The Benue chapter of the PDP accused the governor of looking for a scapegoat instead of rising to the occasion by tackling the insecurity besetting the state head-on.
The opposition party stated this in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Tim Nyor, on Saturday.
The statement reads in part, “It is important to note that Benue’s security challenges are not in isolation in Nigeria. Neighbouring states such as Plateau and Taraba face similar threats, yet their governments have shown a more responsible approach by acknowledging the security realities and taking proactive steps to address them.
“Conversely, Governor Alia’s focus has been on blame-shifting, alternating between accusing Abuja politicians, foreign invaders and other scapegoats, instead of confronting the root causes of insecurity.
“We must ask: Are attacks in Plateau, Enugu, Taraba, or elsewhere solely attributable to Abuja representatives? Or is Benue being unfairly singled out in a political witch-hunt?
“The truth remains that herdsmen attacks in Benue predate Governor Alia’s administration, just as they did during the tenures of Governors Samuel Ortom and Gabriel Suswam. ”
The PDP further stated that Alia’s accusation is far cry from how successive administrations before his own reacted to the challenge adding that they recognized the threat and called it by its name – attacks by armed herdsmen – without resorting to what the party described as “reckless blame-shifting”.
The statement continued: “Instead of addressing the fundamental issues, the governor’s rhetoric is marred by distractions, false accusations, and propaganda.
“Benue’s security challenges must not be dismissed or sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
“To insinuate or outrightly (sic) claim that Abuja representatives are sponsors of herdsmen terrorism is not only irresponsible but a dangerous misdiagnosis of the problem,” the statement added.
PDP added that such reckless assertions by the Alia administration will surely undermine genuine efforts to address insecurity in the state.
The statement stressed that while the governor may enjoy immunity from prosecution, he must be reminded that the Abuja politicians he maligns do not share the privilege.
“If he genuinely believes his claims, he should present comprehensive security reports to the relevant authorities for appropriate action rather than resorting to baseless propaganda.
“The PDP urges Governor Alia to abandon the politics of blame and focus on concrete, inclusive, and responsible security strategies. Genuine leadership at this critical time requires honesty, responsibility, and a unifying spirit: qualities that are vital for a leader who also bears the moral responsibility of a Reverend,” the statement added.
The opposition party was reacting to Alia’s comments during a live interview on Channels TV, where he accused Benue political office holders in the National Assembly of perpetrating the insecurity in the state.
