From Msuur Akase, Makurdi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted claims by Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, Solomon Iorpev, linking the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), to frustration of compensation for victims of the 2001 Zaki-Biam and Gbeji military invasion.
In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday in Makurdi the PDP described Iorpev’s article titled ‘Why PDP and its candidate’s security promises lack credibility in Benue’ as propaganda, conjecture and political revisionism.
The party said by dragging Aondoakaa into the matter, Iorpev had unwittingly exposed the intellectual bankruptcy of the Alia administration’s propaganda machinery.
“When a government runs out of achievements, it begins to manufacture villains. When it cannot defend its record, it attacks the character of its opponents,” the statement read.
Reacting to the allegation that Aondoakaa, as Attorney-General of the Federation, frustrated efforts to pay compensation, the PDP argued that filing an appeal was part of the constitutional duties of the chief law officer.
“The Attorney-General of the Federation is the chief law officer of the federation. His duty is not to abandon the government in court because the plaintiffs happen to be his kinsmen. His duty is to defend the legal interests of the federation within the bounds of the law,” it stated.
The party explained that the Zaki-Biam military invasion occurred in October 2001, while the Federal High Court, Enugu judgment awarding ₦41.8 billion was delivered on July 5, 2007.
It added that the Federal Government’s consideration of an out-of-court settlement did not originated during Aondoakaa, stressing that an offer of ₦8 billion was already on the table before he became AGF.
“Following negotiations, an out-of-court settlement was eventually agreed upon, with ₦8 billion awarded as compensation to the affected communities,” the PDP said.
The party further recalled that during President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure, under whom Aondoakaa served, not a single part of Benue State was occupied by armed Fulani herders.
It accused the Alia administration of hypocrisy for weaponizing a 25-year-old incident for political gain while communities in Benue are still under attack.
“The real question Mr Iorpev has failed to answer is this: Where is the evidence that Aondoakaa personally opposed justice for the Zaki-Biam victims? Where is the statement in which he allegedly vowed that compensation would never be paid? Where is the court finding against him? None exists,” the statement added.
PDP also dismissed as cruel, irresponsible and malicious attempts to link Aondoakaa to the death of Alexander Gaadi, insisting that no court, no investigative panel, no competent authority made such a finding.
The party urged Governor Alia and his aides to focus on current security challenges instead of manufacturing controversies about yesterday.
“It noted that government should be interested in explaining why communities are still being overrun,or why many farmers remain unable to return safely to their ancestral lands despite the present administration’s promise of returning them within its first 100 days in office.
The PDP insisted that the tragedy of Benue people should not be why Aondoakaa appealed a judgment nearly 20 years ago,it should be that while government propagandists are busy fighting political battles, innocent Benue people are still being buried on daily basis without government protection, urging members of the public to disregard malicious narratives claims to earn cheap political points.
