Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, is again within the headlines and never for routine governance.
His newest political transfer is elevating eyebrows throughout occasion traces. The governor has introduced Labaran Maku, a outstanding opposition determine, into his media circle, fueling speak of an impending defection.
This transfer is getting critical consideration. Not simply because Maku as soon as served as Minister of Data underneath President Goodluck Jonathan or that he’s identified for his criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu however due to the timing.
It’s a interval when whispers of Alia’s exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC) are getting louder.
Maku was recruited underneath the platform of Timbuktoo to guide a particular media crew for Governor Alia. This was confirmed throughout a current outing by the Benue State Common Primary Training Board.
Inside APC ranks, the fallout has been swift. Many loyalists are livid. For them, this isn’t nearly hiring somebody with media expertise it’s about political loyalty, timing, and route. And the selection of Maku is sending a transparent message.
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The Benue APC Likeminds issued a pointy warning: “Governor Alia is dancing dangerously near the sting. Labaran Maku isn’t just an outsider, he’s an emblem of the whole lot the APC is preventing in opposition to forward of 2027.”
They didn’t cease there. “Maku has lengthy been related to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), and his current actions recommend a job in constructing a broader coalition to problem the APC within the subsequent election cycle.
“It’s about loyalty, optics and political intent. Hiring Labaran Maku at a time like this, with all of the defection speak within the air, can solely imply one factor: the governor is getting ready to leap ship.”
This isn’t popping out of nowhere. Alia’s relationship with the APC has been shaky for some time. Party leaders in Benue and Abuja have overtly questioned his dedication, citing his repeated absence from key occasion conferences.
With 2027 on the horizon, the governor’s subsequent steps might reshape the political panorama in Benue and presumably past.
