Benue Showdown: Governor Alia and Ex-Governor Ortom in Heated Clash Over Seized Official Vehicles

A significant political dispute has erupted in Benue State, pitting the current Governor, Hyacinth Alia, against his predecessor, Samuel Ortom. The contention centers on allegations of mismanagement during Ortom's tenure and the controversial seizure of vehicles following his departure from office in 2023.

Governor Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, on Wednesday accused immediate past governor Samuel Ortom of having "run the state aground" during his eight-year reign. Kula's remarks came in direct response to Ortom’s claims that the current state government had illegally seized cars legitimately given to him by the State Executive Council at the end of his tenure. Kula, appearing on Arise Television’s Morning Show, asserted that the disputed vehicles were discovered hidden in a mechanic workshop, following intelligence gathered by security agencies. He highlighted the difficulty in understanding Ortom's claim of legitimate ownership, given that Ortom presided over and appointed members to the very Executive Council he cited. Kula also mentioned that the owner of the mechanic workshop was the first to take the Benue State Government to court regarding the seized vehicles.

Conversely, former Governor Samuel Ortom has vehemently accused the Alia administration of using state power for political witch-hunting, alleging that 23 vehicles legitimately allocated to him were seized after he left office. Ortom stated that he challenged this seizure in court and ultimately won, with the court ordering the state government to return the vehicles and pay him N5 million in damages. Speaking on Arise News, Ortom criticized the Alia administration for undermining the rule of law and deliberately targeting political opponents and critics. He expressed concern that the state was not "getting it right" under the current government, emphasizing that democracy is anchored on the rule of law, which he believes is being disregarded.

The dispute over government vehicles dates back to the early months of the Alia administration. Shortly after taking office in June 2023, Governor Alia established a committee tasked with recovering state assets allegedly taken by officials of the previous administration. This committee's mandate included tracing state-owned vehicles, land, houses, furniture, and other properties. In July 2023, the committee seized more than 30 vehicles and Hilux vans from an automobile workshop located along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road. This recovery exercise ignited a significant political confrontation between the new government and associates of Ortom, also triggering multiple legal actions.

One notable case involved businessman Emmanuel Viashima, who sued the Benue State Government, Governor Alia, and other officials, asserting that 32 vehicles removed from his premises did not belong to the former governor and seeking N5 billion in damages. The vehicle controversy has since become a prominent symbol of the bitter political relationship between Ortom and his successor. While Ortom's latest account specifies that 23 of the seized vehicles were legitimately allocated to him and that a court ordered their return along with N5 million in damages, the government's narrative, through Kula, indicates that the cars were initially hidden and their discovery involved security intelligence, and that the mechanic workshop owner was involved in the initial litigation.

Beyond the vehicle dispute, Ortom has raised broader criticisms against the Alia administration. He accused the governor of fostering an environment where critics and elders are allegedly attacked by supporters of the administration, using phrases like "no-Alia, no-Benue" to describe the perceived intolerance. Furthermore, Ortom alleged that the Alia administration has failed to convene a single broad-based stakeholders' meeting across party lines since assuming office, questioning the governor's approach to inclusive governance in a state that "belongs to us."