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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Benue State, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, has predicted that Governor Hyacinth Alia will make history as the first sitting governor in the state to lose a re-election bid.
Aondoakaa, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, said the long-standing pattern of incumbent governors winning second terms in Benue would be broken in the 2027 election, expressing confidence that he would defeat Alia at the poll.
He spoke while responding to questions about his chances against the incumbent, particularly against the backdrop that no sitting governor in the state had lost an election while seeking a second term.
“A sitting governor will lose election this time,” Aondoakaa declared, insisting that incumbency would not shield Alia from the verdict of voters.
According to him, accessibility, performance, security and the spread of development across the state would weigh heavily in the electorate’s decision.
Aondoakaa argued that previous Benue governors who secured second terms maintained close contact with the people, alleging that the current administration had created a gulf between the governor and ordinary citizens.
“People in Benue value accessibility. If our governor cannot be accessed, who will vote you again? Even if you don’t give them anything, the fact that they come to you and you welcome them, you talk to them, they feel at home,” he said.
He promised to run an open-door administration if elected, saying governance should bring leaders closer to the people rather than isolate them.
The PDP candidate also rejected suggestions that Alia was entitled to complete eight years in office, arguing that the Constitution guarantees an initial four-year mandate, while another four years must be earned at the ballot box.
“The law does not give a governor eight years. It gives a governor four years. The other four years, it is the people who give you,” he said.
Aondoakaa also identified insecurity as one of the issues on which he expects voters to assess the Alia administration, pointing to continuing attacks and killings in parts of the state.
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He questioned the governor’s position on the Federal Government’s proposed ranching programme, insisting that Benue’s position must be clearly articulated and that anyone seeking to conduct business in the state must comply with its laws.
“People coming to do business must conform with the municipal laws, the laws within the state and the laws in the country,” he said.
According to him, livestock movement and ranching must take cognisance of relevant quarantine regulations, state laws and recognised community customs.
Aondoakaa equally dismissed arguments that the 2027 governorship contest should be decided solely on geographical zoning, maintaining that competence, acceptability and popularity should take precedence.
He argued that Benue voters had, at different times, chosen governors based on political circumstances and the popularity of candidates rather than rigid adherence to zoning.
Turning to the economy, the former minister said his administration would make agriculture and rural development central to its agenda, arguing that Benue could not fully exploit its status as an agrarian state while rural communities remained starved of infrastructure and investment.
He accused the Alia administration of concentrating a disproportionate share of capital expenditure in Makurdi and a few urban centres at the expense of communities across the state’s three senatorial zones.
Aondoakaa alleged that as many as 20 local government areas had received little significant government investment during the first three years of the administration, saying such an imbalance could become a major electoral issue.
He said development must be deliberately spread across Zones A, B and C to give residents a sense of belonging and create economic opportunities outside the state capital.
The PDP candidate promised that, if elected, his government would prioritise rural infrastructure, agriculture, security and direct engagement with communities.
He maintained that the 2027 election would ultimately be a referendum on the performance of the incumbent administration, rather than a contest determined by the advantage of holding office.
