Politics
Allegations against me over plot to destabilize Gov Alia’s govt laughable -Senator Moro
By Chukwuka Kanu
The Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District Senator Abba Moro has described allegations leveled against him on plot to destabilize Governor Hyacinth Alia’s government as laughable and baseless.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Benue Federal lawmaker on Monday night stating that:
“My attention has been drawn to a press release by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of Benue State, Fr. Hyacinth Alia titled, THICK PLOTS TO DESTABILIZE ALIA’S GOVERNMENT UNCOVERED, wherein I was accused of knowing the root cause of insecurity in Benue State and discreetly cooking crooked plans to destabilize the state.
“The hastily concocted and attention-seeking press release should ordinarily not deserve a response from me but for the unsuspecting reading public that stands to be misinformed and misled if the records are not put into proper perspectives.
“It is absurd, uncharitable and laughable for the government of Benue State to accuse me of plots to destabilize Benue State after all my efforts to support the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia. I want to believe that the governor did not see the content of the press release by his CPS.
“For the records, in his hotel room in Abuja and his house in Makurdi, I had severally advised the governor against dissolving the democratically elected councils in Benue State. I had advised that as a governor who’s a Reverend Father and who had sworn to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he should be different from the ordinary politician, but he yielded to the pressure from the hawks around him who believed it was their turn to take over the local government areas.
“Dissolving democratically elected councils and setting up caretaker committees is against the grain of the constitution, is an aberration, illegal and alien to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“It was when all my entreaties fell on deaf ears that I did that which any responsible lawmaker representing the people would do. I moved a motion to draw the attention of Nigerians to the illegality in dissolving democratically elected councils in Benue State and other states in Nigeria and called on the senate to resolve to reverse the trend. And to serve as deterrent, I urged the senate to resolve to urge the Federal Government to withhold federation account allocations to the illegal entities called caretaker committees as not to do so would amount to encouraging illegality and unconstitutionality.
“To be so paranoid about my innocuous legislative action and bringing it up at every conversation smacks of a government that has lost focus and the machinery of government. My motion never contained security or insecurity elements.If the Benue State Government now suddenly acknowledges that her action in desolving democratically elected councils has security implications then the responsible thing to do is to have the courage to reverse herself.
“I also advised the governor of Benue State at that early stage to appoint a security adviser and convoke a security Stakeholders’ meeting to review the security situation in Benue State. This certainly cannot be coming from someone plotting to destabilize Benue State.
“The penultimate press conference held by the National Assembly caucus of Benue State was intended to address the security situation in Benue State after the meeting of the senate and security Stakeholders, calling on the federal and state governments to review their security architectures and confront the menace of insecurity frontally. It nothing to do with the illegal sacking of the democratically elected councils.
“I find the aggressive response by the Benue State Government to the harmless and patriotic outcry of the Benue State National Assembly caucus concerning the suffering of Benue people in the hands of herders as very unfortunate and smacks of irresponsibility and cluelessness. And to single out senator Abba Moro and Hon. Phillip Agbese for attacks smacks of a contrived vendetta against a people.
“In the press release by the National Assembly caucus on Wednesday, which I read, the security situation in Benue was never attributed to the dissolution of elected councils. I wonder how governor Alia is comfortably carrying on like nothing is happening, when Benue people are being killed and chased away from their ancestral homes without any form of resistance and not even a visit to the affected communities by the Chief Security Officer of the state, the governor to identify with the people or even a statement fromgovernment house. Not even to provide camps for displaced persons in Zone C let alone ask the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) to provide relief materials to the people.
“I represent NINE LGAs, out of 23, in the Senate and cannot keep quiet and pretend that all is well with my people when all is not well. My effort and that of other senators resulted in the marathon meeting that the Nigerian Senate had with Service Chiefs and many other relevant persons on Tuesday, 13th February, 2024. This is in addition to the personal efforts I have been making towards alleviating the pains of those directly affected by the mindless attacks.
“As representatives of the people, we feel their pains and share in their worries and fears and we will continue to speak for them not minding whose ox is gored. We are not discreetly cooking any crooked plans to destabilize the state, as maliciously alleged, but only interested in a state where her citizens sleep with their eyes closed and can move about freely without fear of attack.
“I urge the state government to sit up and carry out its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property of the people rather than chasing imaginary enemies. If the governor and his handlers are not bothered and worried about the happenings in the state, we are worried and will continue to speak out until the right things are done and our people begin to have peace in their homes.
“The general public and the good people of Benue State in particular are enjoined to disregard the watery and baseless statement as it’s merely a calculated attempt by the authors to shift blames, run away from their responsibilities, divert attention from their failures and instigate the public against the Benue State National Assembly Caucus and I.
“My humble advice to the governor, as always, is not to soil all his plates with palm oil as he may not find one to eat with when the need arises.
2027 loading former president Muhammadu Buhari becomes beautiful bride as barely hours after VP, Atiku Abubakar visited ex-president, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Friday, led members of the party’s National Working Committee on a visit t to Kaduna State.
The visit took place hours after former vice president Atiku Abubakar led the People’s Democratic Party delegation on a courtesy call to the former president.
The delegation included former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai; former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; former governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam; former governor of Adamawa, Jibrilla Bindow; former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and former Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami.
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, El-Rufai said the visit to the former president was not political and asked “adversaries” not to lose sleep.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory added that the visit was for “unity and brotherhood”.
The outcome of the APC NWC’s visit remains unknown; there have been speculations of disunity in the party, as some members of its members recently defected to the Social Democratic Party.
Atiku also cleared the air on Friday, saying that the visit was for the Sallah celebration as against speculated coalition talks.
In a post on his official X handle, Atiku wrote, “As the Waziri Adamawa, I was obligated to be in Adamawa during the Sallah celebrations. I held forth for the Lamido Fombina (Adamawa) in some of the activities of the Sallah celebrations. Today, I had the opportunity to pay a post-Sallah visit to His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2015-2023. It was a wonderful time with him. As usual, he cracked me up (to the extent that my ribs were hurting) with his peculiar humour.”
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has scheduled the state council election for July 12.
Mr Tope Ojo, LASIEC’s Head of Public Affairs, made this announcement on Friday in Lagos.
He revealed that the election for 57 council chairmanship positions and 376 councillor seats will take place on July 12. If necessary, a re-run will occur on July 19.
Lagos State comprises 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The election date was chosen to avoid a leadership vacuum in the state’s councils.
LASIEC’s notice confirmed that the election will include 20 Local Governments, 37 LCDAs, and 376 wards.
With the current local government administration nearing its end, LASIEC has ramped up efforts for a smooth election process.
The commission has officially launched the electoral process with the release of the Notice of Election.
Political parties must visit the LASIEC headquarters to obtain nomination forms for their candidates.
Ojo confirmed that a meeting with all registered political parties is set for Tuesday.
“The Election Guidelines will be published on April 17,” Ojo added.
According to him, campaigns and rallies will start on April 18 and end on July 9.
Nomination Forms for “substituted” and “only candidate” submissions must be submitted between June 18 and June 25.
LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (rtd), assured a fair and level playing field for all political parties.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to holding a free, fair, inclusive, and credible election.
Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship hopeful, Paul Chukwuma, has been officially declared the gubernatorial candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the upcoming November 8, 2025, election in Anambra State.
Chukwuma, who recently resigned from the APC over what he described as a deeply flawed and compromised primary process, secured the YPP ticket via a consensus vote held on Thursday in Awka. The primary, attended by 374 delegates, adopted the Option A4 voting system and was described as transparent and peaceful.
The election was overseen by the party’s National Secretary and Chairman of the Election Committee, Vidieno Bamayi. Despite Chukwuma being the sole aspirant, the party proceeded with a formal vote to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and demonstrate internal democracy.
“Even though he was unopposed, we conducted the primary in accordance with our constitution and electoral guidelines. This reflects our commitment to due process,” Bamayi stated.
At the end of the exercise, Chukwuma received overwhelming support, garnering 366 ‘yes’ votes, while eight delegates voted ‘no’. He was subsequently declared the official flagbearer of the YPP.
Chukwuma’s Vision and Promises
In his acceptance speech, Chukwuma expressed deep appreciation to the party and its delegates for the trust reposed in him. He described the YPP as a party with discipline, structure, and a mission to deliver transformative leadership to the people of Anambra.
“I come before you not just as a candidate, but as someone who understands the stakes and the expectations of Ndi Anambra. The YPP is ready to redefine governance in this state. Today, we take a bold step towards real change,” Chukwuma said.
He pledged to offer visionary leadership that would position Anambra State for growth, development, and greater political inclusion at the national level. According to him, one of his core goals is to bridge the gap between Anambra and the federal government, ensuring that the state benefits from national opportunities.
“Anambra is the heart of Igbo land, and it deserves to be firmly connected to the centre. I am here to make that connection possible with YPP as the vehicle,” he emphasized.
Interestingly, despite his departure from the APC, Chukwuma signaled support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, especially the “Hope Agenda” – a policy framework aimed at economic revitalization and national unity. He expressed confidence in aligning his vision for Anambra with the broader developmental goals of the federal government.
“I believe in President Tinubu’s vision, and I will work to ensure Anambra taps into the opportunities created by this administration. We must think beyond party lines and focus on the development of our people,” he said.
Chukwuma will face a formidable lineup of contenders in what is expected to be a highly competitive governorship race. His opponents include:
Incumbent Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo (All Progressives Grand Alliance – APGA)
Nicholas Ukachukwu (All Progressives Congress – APC)
George Moghalu (Labour Party – LP)
Chioma Ifemulike and Chidi Onyeze (Accord Party)
Jeff Nweke (Action Alliance)
With his formal emergence as the YPP candidate, Paul Chukwuma is positioning himself as a unifier and reform-minded leader who intends to take Anambra to new heights. His campaign will likely focus on inclusive governance, economic expansion, and establishing stronger ties between the state and the federal government.
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