Governor Alia made the remarks on Monday while speaking with State House correspondents shortly after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Checks revealed that there is a growing division in the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the party split between loyalists of Governor Alia and supporters of the former governor and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
Governor Alia acknowledged the rift within the party but dismissed it as a normal disagreement that often arises from party primary elections.
He maintained that he would win the governorship election and that President Tinubu would also secure a massive number of votes in the North Central state.
He said: “I know that there have been some agitations from the APC faithful after the primaries, but I believe that everything is going to be quite calm. Mr President is a democrat who understands this.
“He’s a grassroots person. We’re all working for the APC, and I am very confident that, just as I won the election the first time, we’re going to double the numbers for him. The APC will continue to remain one, and we’re going to make it good for him and for the entire Benue State as well.”
He also told journalists that part of the reason for his visit was to brief President Tinubu on the security situation in Benue State.
“You know, previously we’ve had a lot of insecurity in the state and all that. Everywhere is calm now. He needed to know the position of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state. Also, this is the farming season for us. We are the food basket of the nation. If the IDPs are voluntarily going home, do we still have some anxieties out there? So the answer is yes. He needed to know how we are tackling that and all that. And then the political situation back home as well. He also needed to be on the same page with us.”
