Opinion
INTIMIDATION MASQUERADING AS MOBILISATION IN BENUE
By Sam Agogo
There is a dangerous slogan making the rounds in Benue State today, and it is time someone in authority said so plainly: “No Alia, No Benue.”
It sounds harmless enough to the untrained ear, a chant of loyalty to a sitting governor.
But scratch beneath the surface and it reveals something far more troubling — a suggestion that the state’s fate, indeed its very right to exist, is bound up in the political survival of one man.
Even within Governor Hyacinth Alia’s own political family, voices have warned that the slogan carries a sinister undertone, one that treats democratic dissent as an existential threat rather than a constitutional right.
That undertone became explicit when Hon. Terver Gbenda, Senior Special Assistant on Youth Affairs, stood before youths in Otukpo and Zone C and declared that they must not “entertain strange people.” He was emphatic, warning that Idoma votes already belonged to President Bola Tinubu, to “father Alia,” and to legislators loyal to the governor. Gbenda told supporters to “chase out” anyone who came to campaign against Alia, coupling his words with inducements of rice and cash. “From today henceforth, let’s not allow anybody to come to Otukpo and deceive us again,” he said. He challenged critics to present their “scorecard” in Zone C before daring to oppose Alia or Tinubu.This was not mobilisation; it was coercion.
It was the reduction of an entire ethnic nationality to political serfs, stripped of agency and threatened into compliance. The Idoma, like the Tiv and Igede, are citizens of Nigeria. They are guaranteed by the constitution the right to free association, to welcome visitors of their choosing, and to cast their votes according to conscience. To threaten them with punishment for exercising those rights is to trample on the very foundation of democracy.
The Idoma threat is emblematic of a broader malaise. It signals that political loyalty is no longer being sought through persuasion or vision, but through fear. And once intimidation becomes the currency of mobilisation, democracy itself is imperiled. That malaise was on full display when Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), attempted a humanitarian visit to Yelwata.
The community had been devastated by armed attacks, losing more than two hundred lives. Obi’s mission was humanitarian, a gesture of condolence. Yet he never made it to Yelwata. His convoy was stopped along the Makurdi-Gboko road by youths chanting “Peter Obi, go back.
” Some were reportedly armed with sticks, stones flew, and security personnel stood by. Obi alleged that the blockade was orchestrated by a Special Adviser to the governor — widely believed to be Gbenda.Regardless of denials, one fact is indisputable: a presidential candidate was denied entry into a grieving Nigerian community by a politically charged mob. That should trouble every democrat. Grief is not partisan.
Condolence is not a campaign strategy to be rationed by political aides. Sympathy for the dead is a human duty, not a privilege to be gatekept by those who mistake political appointment for absolute authority.Gbenda’s words in Otukpo and Zone C, coupled with his alleged role in blocking Obi, illustrate the danger of slogans like “No Alia, No Benue.”
They transform loyalty into monopoly, dissent into treason, and democracy into intimidation.Benue’s political history has always been complex. From Aper Aku’s pioneering leadership in the Second Republic to George Akume’s influence in the early 2000s, and Samuel Ortom’s turbulent tenure, the state has often been a battleground for competing ethnic and partisan interests. Each leader brought his own vision and challenges, navigating the delicate balance between Tiv majority politics and Idoma representation. The present climate of intimidation should not be seen as a continuation of their legacies, but rather as a departure from the democratic ideals they sought to uphold in their own ways.The Tiv majority has traditionally held sway, while the Idoma and Igede have struggled for recognition and equitable representation.
Yet, despite tensions, Benue has remained a state where dialogue and political competition were possible. The current rhetoric risks undermining that fragile balance. Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of movement, freedom of association, and the right to vote. Gbenda’s threats directly contradict these provisions. When he tells Idoma communities not to “entertain strange people,” he violates their right to hospitality and free association.
When he insists their votes already belong to Tinubu and Alia, he undermines their right to choose freely. When he urges youths to “chase out” dissenters, he encourages vigilantism that erodes the rule of law.In Otukpo, a farmer whispered that he no longer feels safe hosting visitors. “They say we must not entertain strangers. But strangers are sometimes family, sometimes friends.
Must we now fear welcoming our own?” A student in Zone C recounted being told that her vote was “already taken.” “They said it belongs to Alia and Tinubu. But my conscience belongs to me. Why should anyone decide for me?” A trader in Makurdi recalled the blockade of Obi as a humiliation.
“We were waiting to receive him in Yelwata. Instead, we heard he was turned back. It felt like our grief was being policed. Who decides who can console us?”Other Nigerian states have faced similar crises. In Rivers, youth militias were mobilised to intimidate opponents, leading to violent clashes.
In Lagos, slogans were weaponised to delegitimize dissent, creating a climate of fear. Each time, the result was instability. Benue risks repeating those mistakes if intimidation is allowed to masquerade as mobilisation. Yelwata’s grief is compounded by politicisation. Survivors of attacks feel abandoned, their mourning turned into a political battleground.
“We lost more than two hundred people,” one elder said. “We needed condolence, not confrontation. Instead of comfort, we got politics.”Lawyers, activists, and clerics in Benue have condemned Gbenda’s remarks.
The Nigerian Bar Association’s local chapter warned that his words violate constitutional rights. Clerics urged Governor Alia to rein him in, warning that unchecked intimidation could ignite chaos.
Civil society groups called for accountability, insisting that democracy must be defended against coercion.Benue must choose between intimidation and inspiration. Leaders must call Gbenda to order before his words ignite chaos.
The threats against the Idoma, the blockade of Peter Obi, and the slogan “No Alia, No Benue” are warning signs. They signal a drift toward political coercion that, if unchecked, could destabilize the state. Before Benue burns, someone in authority must act.
For comments, reflection, and further conversation:
Email: samuelagogo4one@yahoo.com (yahoo.com in Bing)
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