Benue Governor’s Second Term Bid: Former PDP Chairman Declares No Politician Can Stop Him
In a bold declaration, Barnabas Gemade, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stated that no politician in Benue State has the power to stop the incumbent governor, Hyacinth Alia, from getting a second term ticket.
Gemade, who once represented the North East Senatorial district of the state at the Senate, made this statement at a reception held for board members recently appointed by President Bola Tinubu. The event took place at the Benue Hotel in Makurdi, the state capital, on Saturday.
According to Gemade, some politicians in the state are known for stopping serving governors from securing a second term, but they always fail in their bid. He unequivocally declared that nobody would stop Governor Alia from getting a second term of office.
The former PDP chairman, who was a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in 2023, lost at the party primary to Alia. He also challenged the outcome of the primary to the Supreme Court but lost.
Gemade accused politicians of using their positions to oppress their opponents, citing the recent board member appointments. Thirteen people from the state got appointments, but only seven attended the reception. He praised Governor Alia for standing up to the occasion and ensuring that some Benue people were appointed to the positions.
The former senator also commended President Tinubu for his timely intervention, which prevented a skewed appointment in the tertiary institution board. Gemade emphasized that Governor Alia is not the kind of person who would do what people who are inconsiderate want him to do.
In his words, "Nobody whatsoever is going to stop Governor Alia from making eight years of governorship. There are people in this state who tried to stop people from being governor, but there are also other people who tried to stop governors from having a second term, and there are people here who made sure that governors have a second term. So, those who try to make sure a governor doesn’t have a second term must know that we are always here to make sure governors have a second term."
Gemade concluded that Governor Alia deserves a second term more than anyone before him, and that is what is going to happen.
