A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Bemgba Iortyom, has dismissed claims that Governor Hyacinth Alia is being considerate by allowing politicians to visit the state without obtaining permits from his government.
Iortyom argued that the governor has no legal authority to compel politicians to seek permission before visiting Benue, saying his decision not to impose such a requirement should not be portrayed as an act of tolerance or kindness.
He stated this in a Facebook post on Wednesday while reacting to comments by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, on the issue.
According to Iortyom, Governor Alia had previously attempted to introduce the permit requirement through an Executive Order, which he said he successfully challenged in court.
He further claimed that the court had nullified the Executive Order and that the state government had not appealed the judgment.
“Your boss has not given the order because he has no powers to give such an order,” Iortyom stated.
He maintained that the governor’s inability to restrict politicians from visiting Benue without permission was a matter of legal authority, not political tolerance or consideration.