The 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has called on President Bola Tinubu to disregard what he described as a sustained campaign of misinformation against Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, insisting that the governor continues to enjoy widespread support among the people of the state.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Onjeh said the narratives being promoted against the governor did not reflect the mood of Benue residents and urged the President to assess Alia based on his performance rather than political lobbying.

Onjeh, who recently lost the APC primary election, said his appeal was not motivated by personal political interests but by what he described as the need to protect the collective interest of Benue State.

“I have every reason to be disappointed with the way I was treated in the just concluded APC primary election,” he said.

“Yet, despite my personal disappointment, I refused to pull down the roof over the party because the interest of Benue State is greater than my individual grievance.”

He argued that political leaders should place peace and stability above personal ambitions, saying electoral setbacks should not become grounds for destabilising the state.

Reflecting on the 2023 general election, Onjeh said Governor Alia made significant contributions to the APC’s victory in Benue, particularly at a time when the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket faced stiff opposition in many Christian communities across the North Central region.

According to him, Alia’s credibility as a Catholic priest and his grassroots acceptance helped reassure many voters and strengthened support for the presidential ticket of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

“It would therefore be unfair to create the impression that Governor Alia merely benefited from the APC. He also played a significant role in the party’s victory in Benue State,” Onjeh said.

He described Alia as a leader who entered politics from the priesthood rather than through the conventional political structure, noting that the governor had to adjust to the realities of partisan politics.

“While Governor Alia may not have mastered every aspect of conventional politics, I do not believe he deliberately set out to disrespect anyone or alienate political stakeholders,” he said.

Onjeh further alleged that some political interests had remained focused on weakening the governor through media campaigns and misinformation instead of supporting his administration.

Despite those efforts, he maintained that Alia remained popular among ordinary residents because of his emphasis on governance.

“Ordinary Benue people are less concerned with political calculations than with good governance. They want roads, schools, hospitals, prompt payment of salaries and visible development. That is the standard by which they judge every administration,” he said.

The former APC senatorial candidate said his dissatisfaction with the outcome of the party’s primary election had not prevented him from acknowledging what he described as the governor’s performance and popularity.

“I am personally dissatisfied with what happened during the primary election. That is no secret. But personal disappointment should never blind anyone to objective reality,” he added.

Onjeh also expressed confidence that Alia would emerge victorious if the APC conducted a transparent process to nominate its governorship candidate for the next election.

“If anyone genuinely believes Governor Alia no longer enjoys the confidence of the party or the support of the people of Benue State, then whatever lawful method the APC eventually adopts for nominating its governorship candidate… I have no doubt that Governor Alia possesses the political goodwill and grassroots support to emerge successfully,” he said.

He urged President Tinubu not to allow decisions concerning Benue State to be influenced by what he described as political whisper campaigns.

“I respectfully urge Mr President to judge Governor Alia by his measurable performance, his contributions to the success of our great party in Benue State, and the genuine pulse of the people, rather than by political narratives designed to advance personal ambitions at the expense of the collective interest of Benue State,” Onjeh said.