Fresh indications have emerged of an alleged political realignment involving Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, and opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections, following reported disagreements over the governorship contest and the distribution of political support in the state.
Sources familiar with the unfolding political developments claimed that Alia had earlier opened discussions with the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), including its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over a possible electoral understanding ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to the sources, the alleged arrangement was designed to mobilise support for Obi’s presidential bid in Benue while also backing NDC candidates contesting National Assembly seats across the state.
The sources further claimed that the development was linked to disagreements within the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the party’s primaries and the emergence of candidates perceived by some members of Alia’s camp as being associated with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
They alleged that the governor’s camp was particularly concerned about the political implications of the substitution of some preferred candidates and sought an alternative political platform through which it could demonstrate its influence ahead of 2027.
However, the reported understanding between the two camps allegedly ran into difficulties when the issue of the Benue governorship emerged.
According to the sources, a meeting involving Alia, Obi and the NDC governorship candidate in the state, Terhemba Shija, reportedly became contentious after the governor was said to have sought Shija’s withdrawal from the 2027 governorship race.
The sources claimed that Shija rejected the proposal, insisting that his candidature had not been presented as conditional on any earlier understanding involving the NDC’s presidential and National Assembly candidates.
The disagreement was said to have further strained the reported relationship between the governor’s camp and the NDC leadership, with the sources claiming that Alia subsequently reconsidered the earlier arrangement..
The development has also been linked by political actors to the September visit of Obi to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area, where the NDC presidential candidate was prevented from proceeding to the community during a visit to families affected by the killings there.
The NDC alleged that suspected thugs, purportedly led by an aide to Governor Alia, obstructed Obi’s convoy. The allegation was reported by several media organisations, although it was not independently established. The Benue State Government, meanwhile, denied being responsible for the incident, while the police said security personnel were deployed during the visit.
In another dimension of the unfolding political calculations, sources claimed that discussions had opened between Alia’s camp and politicians associated with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), with the objective of exploring alternative platforms for the 2027 elections.
The alleged move, according to the sources, was connected to the desire of some political actors in the state to challenge the dominance of the APC structure and alter the balance of forces ahead of the presidential, National Assembly and governorship contests.
The reported political manoeuvring comes against the backdrop of earlier public statements by Alia that he had not endorsed any aspirant for elective office in 2027. In April, the governor said those invoking his name to canvass support were acting without authorisation, insisting that voters would ultimately determine who emerged in the elections.
Alia has also secured the APC ticket to seek a second term as governor of Benue State. Premium Times reported in May that he won the party’s governorship primary, placing him at the centre of the APC’s 2027 electoral strategy in the state.
Earlier in July, Alia also publicly reassured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the APC remained united in Benue and expressed confidence that the party would deliver stronger electoral support in 2027 despite disagreements arising from its primaries.
The latest allegations therefore present a sharp contrast with the governor’s earlier public posture and have added another layer to the political contest expected to intensify as the 2027 elections draw closer.
For now, the extent of any relationship between Alia’s political camp and opposition parties remains unclear, while the alleged financial arrangements, the reported meeting involving Obi and Shija, and the purported APM understanding remain claims awaiting independent confirmation.
What is increasingly evident, however, is that the outcome of the APC’s internal contestations and the alignment of political forces across Benue could have significant implications for the state’s presidential and National Assembly contests in 2027.
Ends
