Popular skit maker Efe Warriboy has taken a swipe at Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, over the decision to declare the 18th of June, a public holiday in honour of President Bola Tinubu’s visit despite ongoing grief following the Yelewata killings.
The holiday announcement was made through a statement issued on the 17th of June, 2025, by Serumun Deborah Ambe, Secretary to the State Government.
According to her, the one-day break was meant to give residents an opportunity to welcome the President during his brief visit.
But Efe, visibly upset, expressed his disapproval in a video posted on Instagram. He accused the governor of ignoring the mood in the state and ridiculing those who recently lost loved ones.
He said, “I’m trying my best not to be rude while making this video, but given this scenario, it would be difficult. What’s happening now in Benue State shows that regardless of your title, whether Reverend Father or Senior Pastor, once you hold power in Nigeria, a demon will enter inside you. That’s what I’ve noticed. And when you join APC, it gets worse. Even PDP, they are all the same.”
He went on to condemn the holiday declaration, calling it tone-deaf: “Just imagine the nonsense declaration of public holiday over President Tinubu’s first in Benue. The Governor is even supposed to be in a state of mourning and not telling people, who just lost their family members, to come and celebrate Tinubu’s visit.”
The comedian referenced a viral video to underscore his point.
“A man said in a viral video that he lost 20 family members. But the most important to the Governor is welcoming Tinubu. The president is supposed to sneak into the state and not expect heroic welcome. Is he coming to commission a project or dead bodies?”
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He didn’t stop there. Efe pointed fingers at what he called insincere political calculations: “What is wrong with you, Nigerian politicians? What Governor Alia is doing is simply playing politics with the lives of Benue people. He is trying not to do anything that will make his political overlords deny him his re-election ticket in 2027.”
The comedian questioned the purpose of the visit: “If not so, how do you explain this nonsense? He is welcoming Tinubu as what? Did he build a factory that the President is coming to commission? Over 200 people killed, and that is just the number of the recent killings. The same people who are mourning their loved ones, you are asking them to come out and welcome President Tinubu.”
He wrapped up his outburst with a biting reflection on the leadership style of the current governor in contrast with his predecessor: “Even if you, politicians, don’t have consciences or have signed a deal with a foreign company to reduce Nigeria’s population, you must not rub it on the faces of the people. Because it has started to look like that. I missed former Benue State Governor, (Samuel) Ortom.
“He very vocal about the killings in the state. It got to your turn as governor, and as a Reverend Father, people were expecting you to be unbiased, but you disappointed a lot of people.”