By Obinna Uballa
Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, has declared that Benue State governor, Fr. Hyacinth Alia must be voted out of office in 2027, saying Benue State needs a “liberal-minded leader” who embraces inclusivity.
Aondoakaa, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remarks on Sunday at a reception held in honour of former Governor Samuel Ortom at the Judges Quarters in Makurdi.
In a statement widely interpreted by attendees as a veiled reference to Governor Alia’s clerical background as a Catholic priest without a wife or children, Aondoakaa said, “Someone who eats alone in his house cannot be governor.”
“Come rain or shine, someone who eats alone is not fit to remain in office. Collectively, we must replace him with a liberal-minded leader,” Aondoakaa, who was captured in a video circulating online, said.
“A person that doesn’t eat food with another person can’t be governor. A person that basically, in his house, eats alone, cannot be governor. All of us aspiring to be governors, either in APC or PDP, we eat and give others.
“I have admired the humility of the leadership of this party. I’ve been working with our leader, Senator George Akume, to make sure that Benue, come 2027, is in good hands,” he added.
Aondoakaa reaffirmed his strategic political alignment with Ortom and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the partnership as one built on mutual respect between Akume, APC leader in Benue and the North Central, and Ortom, the PDP leader in the state.
He praised Ortom’s leadership style, saying the former governor prioritised unity, inclusiveness and peace during his tenure.
Earlier, Ortom, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, assured party members that efforts were ongoing to reconcile all factions and restore unity within the party, which he described as “one indivisible entity.”
He explained that a court order had halted proceedings before the PDP National Convention, but some groups proceeded in defiance, leading to a Federal High Court judgment in Ibadan that later nullified the exercise.
Ortom also accepted responsibility for the PDP’s loss in the last governorship election, blaming it on what he described as the imposition of the party’s candidate, former Speaker Titus Uba, who failed to win broad support from the electorate.
He sought forgiveness from party stakeholders and pledged that future decisions would involve wider consultations to ensure inclusiveness.
Other speakers at the event, including Prof. Dennis Tysvyaar, Dr. Tersoo Loko and Hon. Ucha, commended Ortom for what they described as purposeful leadership, while PDP governorship aspirants for 2027 pledged to uphold his leadership ideals.
