Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Benue State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has raised questions over what it described as a ‘suspicious’ visit of the state governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia to the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State yesterday.
The party raised alarm over the governor’s attendance at the One Year Remembrance Mass in honour of late Prince Paeke Shepnaan, son of the President Court Of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, which held in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State through a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom viewed this frolicking of Governor Alia around the Court of Appeal President with deep suspicion for the very notorious fact that the governor is having his election challenged by the Benue’s major opposition party before the Benue State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal (BGEPT) sitting in Makurdi.
“PDP is aware that the President of the Court of Appeal appoints the Judges who sit on the various election petition tribunals, and while the party has no reason to doubt the integrity of the president and those judges, the same cannot be said of the Benue State Governor” the statement said.
The PDP also stated that Governor Alia has shown himself a man willing to bend rules and distort facts to achieve his objectives, “and this much was evident in the manner of his emergence as the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the last election, through a process fraught with glaring irregularities, but which he hailed as most transparent, to the shock of many, despite his supposed status as a Catholic priest” the statement further said.
The statement reads in parts: “Also during the campaigns, the governor had contrived a series of false narratives as well as empty promises which he bandied to bamboozle the unsuspecting electorate hiding under the cloak of his priesthood.
“Today the veil is being lifted off the ‘corporation sole’ of his supposed priesthood both at the election petition tribunal where facts and evidence have been successfully entered against his election as Governor, coupled with his fast unravelling incompetence and unpreparedness to discharge the functions of the office of Governor.
“PDP warns Governor Alia against any act as may seek to tamper with the course of justice at the BGEPT, and further, the party advises him to channel his itinerant energies towards visiting places across the state ravaged by killings and destructions by suspected bandits whom he has admitted having a pact with and refers to as “my brothers in the bush”.
“Moreover, It is curious to note that a very senior official in Alia’s government who had died a couple of weeks back was laid to rest only the other day, but the governor did not find the event worthy of his attendance, neither could he attend to other matters of state which went begging for his attention, yet had the time to fly to far away Plateau State for a memorial mass.
“Our great party reiterates that any attempt by Governor Alia to tamper with justice at the BGEPT will be stoutly resisted through every means lawful and available to the party”