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Former Kano State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has criticised Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia over the recent disruption of Peter Obi’s visit to the state, saying the governor needs more tutorship in governance.
Kwankwaso spoke in an interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa, published on YouTube, while reacting to the incident in which a mob blocked the convoy of Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, as he attempted to enter Benue State.
Obi had travelled to the state to sympathise with victims of insecurity, particularly those affected by the 2025 Yelwata massacre. The Benue State Government, however, said it had no prior knowledge of the visit and denied allegations that it sponsored the mob.
Describing the incident as “unfortunate and unnecessary”, Kwankwaso said even some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were unhappy with the development.
“What happened in Benue was unfortunate and was unnecessary, and I can tell you I had the opportunity to talk to one or two people on the side of APC; they were very angry because he, the governor, shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
He said governors sometimes become unwilling to listen to advice after assuming office, warning that political experience and continuous learning are essential to effective governance.
“You see, the problem of these governors generally is once you go into government house, you think we have defeated everybody and they are not looking for any advice,” Kwankwaso said.
Kwankwaso also recalled Alia’s emergence as governor, saying he knew former Benue Governor and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, from their days as governors and senators.
“My colleague, my brother, who was also a 1999 governor, and we were in the senate together, now, the SGF. Akume, George Akume, brought him from the church,” he said.
He added: “I don’t think he was a politician. I never heard his name.”
Kwankwaso argued that anyone who becomes governor must first learn the responsibilities of the office and avoid repeating the mistakes of predecessors.
“You see, this tutorship: you can’t just become governor day one even if you are in politics, even if you are senator, or house of reps, there are certain things that you will lie low and learn, and then you build your knowledge, then you become a successful governor, and then you become a tutor yourself,” he said.
He further said, “While you are doing it, you should avoid the mistakes of the former governor or governors,” adding, “For you to be a successful governor, you need to be a successful politician and someone who has learnt something.”
Kwankwaso also criticised what he described as the effect of sudden access to public resources on some politicians, saying: “For somebody who came from nowhere and straight to the government house, he goes there with sirens; billions or trillions now are coming into the treasury. You think you have finished with everybody.”
He said the political environment facing governors today is different from what obtained in 1999 and linked the Benue incident to what he described as poor political judgement.
“And that is why I don’t envy Bola Tinubu, who thought the governors that we have now are like governors in 1999, where people were in charge; now they are not in charge; they are just making mistakes, like the one you just mentioned in Benue,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring specifically to Alia, Kwankwaso replied: “Oh yes, big mistake.”
