The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned Governor Hyacinth Alia’s statewide thank-you tour, describing it as a political exercise designed to distract residents from what it called the administration’s failures.
The opposition party made the accusation in a statement issued on Friday by its State Publicity Secretary, Bright Yima Antyo.
The PDP argued that instead of organising political rallies across the state, the governor should provide residents with a comprehensive account of the funds that had accrued to the state since he assumed office.
The party claimed that more than N1.2 trillion had accrued to the state through federal allocations, internally generated revenue, loans and foreign grants since May 2023.
It questioned how the funds had been utilised, alleging that residents across several communities continued to face insecurity, poor roads, inadequate healthcare facilities, unemployment and abandoned development projects.
According to the opposition party, the governor’s tour amounted to “political deception, self-glorification and a celebration of failure.”
The PDP questioned who exactly the governor was thanking during the tour, asking whether the exercise was intended to appreciate farmers who could no longer access their farmlands, internally displaced persons living in camps or unemployed youths struggling to find jobs.
The party maintained that genuine development should be reflected in tangible improvements in residents’ lives rather than political gatherings and publicity campaigns.
It said completed roads, functional healthcare centres, improved schools, safer communities and support for businesses would provide more meaningful evidence of government performance.
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The PDP further accused the Alia administration of relying heavily on publicity, radio jingles, billboards and promises while failing to deliver what it described as sufficient tangible results.
The opposition consequently demanded a transparent account of all funds received by the state between May 29, 2023, and August 2026.
It asked the governor to disclose the total amount that accrued to the state and local governments during the period, the projects completed, the cost of each project and the impact of the expenditure on residents.
“Rather than turning the APC thank-you tour into a travelling carnival of political praise-singing, Governor Alia should have used the opportunity to render a comprehensive account of his stewardship,” the PDP said.
The party also called on Benue residents to continue demanding accountability from elected officials through peaceful, lawful and democratic means.
It stressed that citizens had a constitutional right to scrutinise public expenditure and demand transparency regarding the management of public resources.
The criticism adds to the growing political contest between the ruling All Progressives Congress and the PDP in Benue, with the opposition party seeking to make government spending, security and infrastructure central issues in its assessment of the Alia administration.