Gov Alia not afraid of Rainbow Coalition, says Kula

By Benedicta Aboh

The Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, Tersoo Kula, has declared that his principal is not afraid of the multi-party Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 governorship election, insisting that the governor remains focused on delivering democratic dividends to the people.

Kula, who was reacting to the declaration by the factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Austin Agada, that neither the coalition nor the APC supports Alia's re-election, said the governor had anticipated the political alliance and would not be distracted by it.

"As you know, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia is more focused than ever on ensuring that he delivers for his people, the people of Benue State. He's not so much bothered with issues of political gang-up here and there. The gang-up is not coming as a surprise to anybody, including the governor himself," he said.

According to Kula, Alia's reform agenda has unsettled entrenched interests opposed to changes in the state's political and administrative structures.

"The governor came in and the first steps he took were those of a reformer. And if you see around, you discover that a reformer has no friends. People hate you because you are going to introduce new ideas, you are going to bring new innovations. The entrenched order, the entrenched forces, the entrenched interests are always against any reformer," he said.

The governor's spokesman also questioned the identity of those allegedly opposed to the administration, asking whether they were farmers, civil servants, trade unions, market women or other beneficiaries of the government's reforms.

Kula further challenged Agada's political influence, questioning his capacity to mobilise support for the coalition, particularly in view of his alleged inability to deliver his electoral constituency.

"If this is somebody who, as state chairman, could not deliver his polling unit, not to talk of his council ward and local government, then you begin to wonder what he meant by 'we'," he said.

He maintained that Alia did not assume office to satisfy the ambitions of political godfathers but to serve the generality of the state's residents.

"Father Alia was not coming for the likes of Agada. Father Alia was coming for the general masses of Benue State, and Father Alia has been with the general masses of Benue State," he declared.

Kula noted that Alia spent about 34 to 35 years in the Catholic priesthood before becoming governor, including approximately 15 years abroad, arguing that his years of pastoral service had equipped him with an understanding of the challenges facing communities across the state.

He explained that the governor maintained close contact with grassroots communities through Catholic priests and other channels that regularly provide information about local challenges, including poor roads, inadequate water supply and insecurity.

"There is no corner of this state that you go to that you don't have a Catholic church, and priests are scattered all around. They are representatives of this government, in case you don't know, because he has opened his doors," Kula said.

According to him, reports of attacks and other security challenges often reach the governor directly from affected communities, sometimes before formal briefings by security agencies, enabling the administration to remain abreast of the difficulties confronting residents.

Explaining the challenges facing the administration, Kula likened governance to a relay race, arguing that the condition in which power was transferred to an incoming government could determine the pace of development.

"Governance is like a relay race. You run and hand over the baton. Sometimes for you to win depends largely on the way that baton is handed to you. If the baton is handed to you late, by the time you take a step, others are ahead of you. You must be a miracle worker to do your best to catch up with them and even overtake them," he said.

The governor's spokesman argued that Alia had to address inherited administrative and structural challenges before accelerating development, stressing that governance required careful prioritisation rather than superficial projects designed merely to attract public applause.

Kula, however, expressed confidence in the governor's relationship with the people of Benue State, insisting that political alliances would not intimidate him ahead of the 2027 election.

"Governor Hyacinth Alia is not afraid of any coalition as far as it is not coming from the people of Benue State," he declared.