Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has accused the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia of poor governance, lack of accountability and failure to adequately utilise the resources available to the state.

Ortom made the allegations during an interview on Arise New on Tuesday, while discussing the political situation in Benue ahead of the 2027 elections.

The former governor claimed that many Benue residents who supported the current administration in 2023 had become disillusioned, saying they were “deceived” and had now decided to support a different political direction.

According to him, the state has failed to witness the level of development expected despite the increased resources available to governments following the removal of fuel subsidy.

“Come here and see things for yourself,” Ortom said, arguing that even the “little things” expected to be visible across Benue were lacking.

He also criticised the administration for what he described as a lack of development at the local government level, alleging that the 22 local government areas were not being allowed to independently execute projects.

Ortom further accused Governor Alia of failing to provide adequate accountability and transparency in the management of state resources.

He recalled that Alia had, during his campaign, promised to run the government like a “church or parish”, arguing that the governor had instead become inaccessible and unwilling to engage stakeholders.

The former governor also alleged that stakeholders had not been sufficiently engaged in finding solutions to the security challenges confronting the state.

He said President Bola Tinubu had, during a visit to Benue following attacks in the state, advised the governor to convene a meeting involving former governors, military administrators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to develop a lasting solution to the insecurity.

Ortom, however, claimed that the proposed meeting had yet to be convened by the governor.

He further alleged that Governor Alia was inaccessible even to people within his administration and had refused to listen to advice from former governors and other stakeholders.

“I want to assure you, 2027, this man, people have now known him,” Ortom said, accusing the governor of running the state based on “lies, deceit and hypocrisy.”

He added that some political figures had attempted to correct the governor but faced difficulties accessing him.

Ortom said he had not met with Governor Alia since leaving office in 2023 to offer advice on the administration of the state.

He maintained that democracy was fundamentally about the people, arguing that elected leaders must remain accessible and responsive to citizens and stakeholders.