Former Kano State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has criticised Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia over the disruption of Peter Obi’s recent visit to the state, saying the governor needs to learn more about governance.
Kwankwaso made the remarks during an interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa, while discussing the incident in which a group of protesters blocked the convoy of Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, during his visit to Benue. Obi had travelled to the state to sympathise with people affected by insecurity, including families affected by the 2025 attacks in Yelwata. His convoy was stopped along the Makurdi-Gboko road as he attempted to reach the community.
The Benue State Government denied involvement in the blockade and said Governor Alia had not been officially notified of Obi’s visit. Benue Commissioner for Information and Culture Solomon Lorpev challenged those alleging government involvement to provide evidence. The Benue Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, later confirmed that the NDC had informed the police command of Obi’s planned visit and that security personnel were deployed. However, he said the party did not ask the police to transmit its notification letter to the governor.
Reacting to the controversy, Kwankwaso described the incident as “unfortunate and unnecessary”, saying he had spoken with some members of the All Progressives Congress who were also unhappy about what happened.
“What happened in Benue was unfortunate and was unnecessary, and I can tell you I had the opportunity to talk to one or two people on the side of APC; they were very angry because he, the governor, shouldn’t have done that,” Kwankwaso said. He argued that some governors stop listening to advice after assuming office, saying political leaders need to remain open to learning and guidance.
“You see, the problem of these governors generally is once you go into government house, you think we have defeated everybody and they are not looking for any advice,” he said. Kwankwaso also discussed Alia’s political background and his relationship with Secretary to the Government of the Federation and former Benue governor George Akume.
“My colleague, my brother, who was also a 1999 governor, and we were in the senate together, now, the SGF. Akume, George Akume, brought him from the church,” he said. “I don’t think he was a politician. I never heard his name.” Kwankwaso argued that political experience and continuous learning were important for anyone seeking to govern a state effectively.
“You see, this tutorship: you can’t just become governor day one even if you are in politics, even if you are senator, or house of reps, there are certain things that you will lie low and learn, and then you build your knowledge, then you become a successful governor, and then you become a tutor yourself,” he said.
He said governors should learn from their predecessors while avoiding their mistakes and developing a deeper understanding of government. “While you are doing it, you should avoid the mistakes of the former governor or governors,” Kwankwaso said. “For you to be a successful governor, you need to be a successful politician and someone who has learnt something.”
The former Kano governor also argued that access to political power and public resources could cause some officeholders to become disconnected from political realities. “For somebody who came from nowhere and straight to the government house, he goes there with sirens; billions or trillions now are coming into the treasury. You think you have finished with everybody,” he said.
Kwankwaso also compared the current political environment with the period when he and other governors took office in 1999, saying he believed governors at the time exercised greater control than many of their present-day counterparts. “And that is why I don’t envy Bola Tinubu, who thought the governors that we have now are like governors in 1999, where people were in charge; now they are not in charge; they are just making mistakes, like the one you just mentioned in Benue,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring specifically to Alia, Kwankwaso replied: “Oh yes, big mistake.” The Benue State Government subsequently rejected Kwankwaso’s criticism. In a statement, Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, described the remarks as unwarranted and urged Kwankwaso to focus on political issues in Kano rather than interfere in Benue’s affairs.