The Tiv Area Traditional Council has clarified that it did not endorse Governor ‘’Hyacinth Alia’’ for a second term but only granted him ‘’royal blessings’’ during a recent meeting held in Gboko on November 8, 2025.
The clarification follows a statement issued earlier by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, quoting Alia as expressing gratitude to the Ijir Tamen I Tiv (Supreme Council of the Tiv Nation) and describing the supposed endorsement as a “historic pronouncement” and a “vote of confidence” in his leadership.
However, in a counter-statement signed by the Council’s Secretary, Shinyi Tyozua, and made available to journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, the Council emphasized that its interaction with the governor was purely traditional and not political.
According to Tyozua, the Council’s meeting focused on matters such as security within Tiv communities, preparations for the upcoming Tiv Day/Summit, continuous voter registration (CVR), Kasev Tiv Bam (KTB) initiatives, the launch of Tiv Television, and the ongoing review of Tiv culture and tradition.
Governor Alia, who attended the meeting on special invitation, briefed the royal fathers on his administration’s progress in areas including health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, ICT, and human capital development.
He also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting Benue in addressing insecurity and appealed for continued cooperation between communities and security agencies.
At the end of his address, the governor requested royal blessings to sustain his administration’s efforts beyond 2027 — a gesture the Council granted but stressed should not be misconstrued as political endorsement.
