If the Governorship elections of Saturday 11 march 2023 holds as deliberate, it will likely be a bitter candy fruits of one of many fiercest political battles within the historical past of Benue state with the main gladiators of the PDP, APC and LP as prime contenders.
Whereas the nation is licking her wounds following the BVAS tsunami that threw up Jagaban as president elect, it seems the APC in Benue has been emboldened of their struggle to complete, clearly counting on a repeat of February 25. They’ve codenamed the election of March 11, “The Benue Therapeutic Mass” owing to the antecedents of their Priest candidate, Hyacinth Alia whose rise to notoriety was on the premise of his acclaimed Therapeutic plenty characterised by mammoth crowds of each people and water cans, the efficacy of which stays to be confirmed.
The concept of a Therapeutic mass has occasioned the interrogation of a significant phase in a mass which is the Eucharist or Holy communion, a fabric image of the damaged physique of Christ and his shed blood, given for the remission of the sins of all mankind, a ritual Christ enjoined all faithfuls to look at till his second coming.
The deployment of spiritual tokens, protocols and symbols in a political battle has necessitated some questions Benue folks should reply in order to allow them to strategy the Governorship elections with their senses moderately than been blinded by spiritual sentiments and feelings that may do extra political and socioeconomic injury than good.
Recall that the President “elect” Bola Tinubu in answering a query on local weather change points and his propositions, resorted to the blasphemous adage of “a case of find out how to forestall a church rat from consuming poisoned holy communion” a blasphemy he has since strengthened in his selection of a Muslim as vice presidential candidate in a nation of largely Christians and Muslims.
Following the priority of their nationwide chief, I’m satisfied that the forthcoming “Therapeutic Mass” of the Benue APC is one the place a “poisoned political holy communion” shall be served to the folks of Benue. That is evident within the following components ;
1. The preparation technique of the communion celebrant.
The communion celebrant known as Hyacinth Alia was ready in a rusty bowl of a massively flawed primaries which necessitated two cycles of rerun, with attending barrages of authorized battles each inside APC and towards the social gathering by different events. That was not like the rancor and litigation free primaries of the PDP that produced Titus Uba as candidate. If the integrity of the method is bound to have an effect on the tip product, then the therapeutic mass is a loss of life lure to keep away from as a flawed course of can’t be trusted to supply a superb chief. Within the phrases of Peter Obi, ” You can’t be addressed as Excellency when the method that produced you was not wonderful”
2. The integrity of the Officiating Clergymen
One other part of the Therapeutic Mass is the integrity of the officiating clergymen. By this I imply the handlers of Hyacinth Alia being APC and what they symbolize to Benue folks. To marry an individual is to just accept his or her relations with their character baggage. Along with his open alliance with APC comes the free entrance of the felony Fulani entities (there are good and peaceable ones) notably the organizations which have overtly attested to finishing up sustained genocidal assaults on Benue communities since 2014 with 1000’s killed and lots of extra nonetheless displaced from their authorized homesteads. This in itself is a poisoned holy communion ready for extra casualties. Alia could also be man who means nicely for Benue however the overriding affect of the fulani curiosity will definitely return Benue again to the period of the winter dance of loss of life as the one respite now we have discovered within the Open Grazing prohibition and Ranches Institution Regulation 2017 is prone to be weakened if not repealed. Their celebration response to Tinubu’s declaration has been collection of assaults on Kwande and Gwer West Native Authorities areas, with scores lifeless and lots of displaced
3. The Homily of the Therapeutic Mass
One other important part of a therapeutic mass is the Homily or preaching which on this case is the manifesto or blueprint Hyacinth Alia is proposing for a New Benue. Recall that the general public presentation of his Manifesto was greeted with widespread anger, criticism and authorized points following the plagiarism or copy and paste from the manifesto doc of a PDP Governorship aspirant Mr Terver Akase. An act they’re but to apologize for or amend. It’s clear that the handlers and technique workforce of Alia have orchestrated his mental suicide, leaving him bankrupt of an authentic motion plan ought to he ever be Governor. This too is poisoned Holy communion which Benue folks should keep away from. The PDP candidate got here out clear on a Manifesto titled, “Our Soil Our Oil” which clearly outlines a street map to a affluent Benue via revamped Agriculture and Safety. Benue folks should keep away from on March 11
Conclusion
Ours is a contemporary world the place governance should depend on capability, character, Competence and proof based mostly monitor information which for my part the PDP candidate Rt Hon Titus Tyoapine Uba possess greater than the celebrant of the therapeutic mass Fada Hyacinth Alia. Let’s do Benue good by driving on our PVC’s to a spot of assured group well being. Say no to the Therapeutic mass and the “poisoned holy communion.”
