An Open Letter to His Excellency, Hyacinth Iormem Alia, The Executive Governor of Benue State -By Dokpesi Timothy Adidi, Ph.D

I write this open letter to you with a deep sense of disappointment and regret. You have once again underscored the reason why the Catholic Church forbids priests from active politics — Canon 285 §3. At a time when you should have changed the narrative and allayed the fears about priests in politics, you had the chance to prove that history is not destiny, but is shaped by the conscious choices of men. Yet, you have repeated history. You seem to have forgotten the Church History taught in the Major Seminary where you were formed to be a bearer of justice, peace, and fairness. You forgot that Church-State relations have boundaries. You forgot that in the 4th century, during the Edict of Milan (313 AD), Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and began showering the Church with wealth, tax exemptions, and political prestige. And it did not stop there.

In 380 AD, the Edict of Thessalonica, issued by Emperor Theodosius I, took it a step further by making Nicene Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire, effectively outlawing paganism. In the Eastern Roman (Byzantine Empire, Emperor Justinian I later codified a doctrine called Symphonia — “harmony.” The Church and the State were presented as two complementary gifts from God, working like a single body: the emperor governed civil life while the Patriarch oversaw spiritual life, though in practice the emperor often held the upper hand. This model persisted through the High Middle Ages in Western Europe, culminating in the Papal Monarchy from 800 – 1300 AD. The devastating effect of this era was that instead of the Church evangelizing Hellenism, it was Hellenism that Hellenized the Church.

Your Excellency, you have once again repeated history. As a Catholic priest — though suspended — you should have used your priestly calling to evangelize the political system. You should have acted differently from other political actors. You should have proven to the world that, as a priest, you are indeed the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14). As a Nigerian, I am indifferent to your becoming Governor. My only concern is that you should have done things differently and brought sanity to the polity. Instead, you have become politically Hellenized by aligning with political forces that kill democracy. By this singular act, you have pushed democracy to the brink of irrelevance. The very same democracy that brought you into the Benue State Government House is now being murdered. Nonetheless, the truth remains: the people of Benue State cannot be undermined. They will still decide their choice in free and fair elections.

Fr. Governor, as the Governor of Benue State, you should not have allowed thugs to stop Mr. Peter Obi from entering your State. I understand you may not have been directly involved, but your body language indicts you for this threat to our democracy unleashed in Benue State.
Any denial from your media aides that it did not happen only adds salt to the injury. What was seen on social media was not AI-generated. I have made several calls to ascertain what truly happened in Benue State. The fact that your media aides are rushing to deny what everyone saw on social media only confirms that the incident is true.

I am not necessarily a fan of Mr. Peter Obi. And even if I were, I would still say that you have denied democracy the chance to thrive in Benue State. Moreover, I do not vouch for politicians. As a Nigerian, I have come to understand that it is difficult to trust any Nigerian politician. Therefore, this open letter is not in support of Peter Obi. I write as a social and political philosopher who understands the dynamics of democracy and its practice to say that what took place in Benue State under your watch calls for serious concern. What is even more worrisome is that Peter Obi is a Catholic, and most members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are also Catholics. How do we explain this as the Body of Christ? This threatens the very theological maxim that says “the water of baptism is thicker than blood”—a truth used across Christian history to describe how spiritual rebirth creates a bond stronger than biological family ties. I am not saying every Catholic must belong to the same political party. Diversity and political differences are the hallmark of democratic engagement. Politics is not a “do or die” affair. And all is not fair in politics. Let us be committed to our Christian calling — not necessarily as priests, but as Christians. Unfortunately, being a priest increases and heightens expectations. Governor Alia, you can do better.

I wish you a fruitful campaign in anticipation of a second tenure, as is customary and typical of Nigerian politicians.

Best Regards,
ADIDI, Dokpesi Timothy, PhD
September, 9th 2026