₦airaland Forum

The Principal Special Assistant to the Governor of Benue State on National Programs, Civil Society, Voter Education, and Strategic Interventions, Solomon Semaka, has accused the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, of attempting to use Benue State as a platform for political relevance.

In a statement issued on Monday, Semaka described Obi’s planned visit to internally displaced persons, IDP, camps in Benue as “political charity” alleging that the former Anambra State governor was disguising political maneuvers as humanitarian concern.

The governor’s aide further claimed that Obi had a history of “emotional blackmail and mind games” targeted at exploiting the plight of vulnerable Nigerians for personal political survival. According to him, the Labour Party flagbearer was trying to raise his profile ahead of possible political realignments by leveraging humanitarian visits to states like Benue.

He said, “Mr Peter Obi cannot ambush Benue State with charity. Even the United Nations does not operate this kind of charity model. What he planned to do was nothing short of a political maneuver disguised as humanitarian work, and the people of Benue are wiser now.”

Semaka’s comments come against the backdrop of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s earlier directive banning unauthorized visits to the state by high-profile individuals, citing security concerns.

The order, the governor said, was aimed at managing movements and preventing activities that could jeopardize the fragile security situation in the state.

Recall that Obi had recently lamented his inability to reach Governor Alia ahead of his planned visit to IDP camps in Benue, a development which the governor’s aide dismissed as “bad charity etiquette” and a deliberate attempt to force his way into the state without proper engagement.

Semaka reiterated the administration’s commitment to its partnership with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and noted that Governor Alia would not allow political distractions to derail ongoing governance efforts in the state.

“Benue State is currently in the hands of a bold, courageous, and fearless leader who will not succumb to cheap political antics,” the statement added.

“political charity”

VnAhunnaPl:
Peter Obi can only go to Anambra and do small chops

tundegan:
Chai, Peter Obi, the man with the Midas touch Everything he touches turns to dust How? How? How?

Okoroawusa:
There are many people killed and displaced by IPOB/ESN in the South East, Peter Obi has not issued a statement condemning them and neither has he visited anyone about the killings.

PressMyButton:
It is very convenient to cite US and UK when you are basically empty upstairs and wanting to defend the fraud. But you are ignorant of the fact that both the US and UK have food stamps/ welfare programs that caters to the needy in their country, they feed their own first before feeding others. Tell us how many people the Agulu fraud have fed or is feeding in the SE before jumping on a flight to go feed Benue people?

PressMyButton:
It is very convenient to cite US and UK when you are basically empty upstairs and wanting to defend the fraud. But you are ignorant of the fact that both the US and UK have food stamps/ welfare programs that caters to the needy in their country, they feed their own first before feeding others. Tell us how many people the Agulu fraud have fed or is feeding in the SE before jumping on a flight to go feed Benue people?

shivisee:
pity obi has demonstrated many times that he’s an enemy of the country and always exploit any ills that take place in the country. even a rat can smell that! If I’m the governor and people like obi come near my state with his agulu hypocrisy, I will ask my agents to put him in a dungeon for atleast a month to learn lesson how not to behave like an animal! Not everything is politics!