The former Kano governor and vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, says Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia needs to acquire more knowledge about governance.
Kwankwaso made the remarks during an interview on Untold Stories with Adesuwa, published on YouTube on Tuesday.
He was discussing the incident in which a mob blocked the convoy of Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, as he attempted to enter Benue State.
Obi had said he visited the state to sympathise with victims of insecurity, particularly those affected by the 2025 Yelwata massacre.
The Benue government said it was not aware of Obi’s visit beforehand and denied allegations that it sponsored the mob.
Describing the incident, Kwankwaso called it “unfortunate and unnecessary” and said some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had also expressed displeasure over what happened.
“What happened in Benue was unfortunate and was unnecessary, and I can tell you I had the opportunity to talk to one or two people on the side of APC; they were very angry because he, the governor, shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Kwankwaso said the incident reflected what he described as a pattern among some governors of becoming less receptive to advice after assuming office.
“You see, the problem of these governors generally is once you go into government house, you think we have defeated everybody and they are not looking for any advice,” he said.
‘AKUME BROUGHT HIM FROM THE CHURCH’
Kwankwaso also discussed Alia’s emergence as governor, referring to his relationship with George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) and former governor of Benue State.
“My colleague, my brother, who was also a 1999 governor, and we were in the senate together, now, the SGF. Akume, George Akume, brought him from the church,” Kwankwaso said.
“I don’t think he was a politician. I never heard his name.”
The former Kano governor said anyone seeking to govern a state needs political experience and should continue learning after assuming office.
“You see, this tutorship: you can’t just become governor day one even if you are in politics, even if you are senator, or house of reps, there are certain things that you will lie low and learn, and then you build your knowledge, then you become a successful governor, and then you become a tutor yourself,” he said.
Kwankwaso also advised governors to learn from the mistakes of previous administrations and gain the knowledge necessary to avoid repeating them.
“While you are doing it, you should avoid the mistakes of the former governor or governors,” he said.
He added that political experience and an understanding of government processes were important to successful governance.
“For you to be a successful governor, you need to be a successful politician and someone who has learnt something,” Kwankwaso said.
The former governor further argued that some politicians lose touch with reality after taking office, particularly when they gain access to significant public resources.
“For somebody who came from nowhere and straight to the government house, he goes there with sirens; billions or trillions now are coming into the treasury. You think you have finished with everybody,” he said.
Kwankwaso also expressed sympathy for President Bola Tinubu, saying the political environment governors operate in today is different from what obtained in 1999.
“And that is why I don’t envy Bola Tinubu, who thought the governors that we have now are like governors in 1999, where people were in charge; now they are not in charge; they are just making mistakes, like the one you just mentioned in Benue,” he said.
When asked whether he was referring specifically to Alia, Kwankwaso replied, “Oh yes, big mistake.”
The comments came amid continuing political exchanges over the disruption of Obi’s visit to Benue and criticism of Alia’s handling of the incident.