By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, on Tuesday came to its peak, as the two warring sides disagreed over the inauguration of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s second-term governorship campaign council scheduled for Thursday, 5th November.
Our correspondent gathered that the last straw that broke the camel’s back was the publication of the name of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume and other supporters of the faction loyal to the SGF on the list of Governor Alia’s campaign council, which the Akume group has refused to be part of.
Recall that the party has not known peace since the inception of Governor Alia’s administration in 2023, as most critical stakeholders who claimed they had been sidelined by Alia’s administration backed out of the governor’s camp.
The aggrieved, who massively joined the Nyesom Wike-led Rainbow Coalition to pull the rug off Alia’s feet, also formed what they code-named “Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027” to give the governor a good fight at the polls.
The State Organising Secretary of the party in Alia’s faction, Mr James Ornguga, who published the list, said it was “a joint campaign council for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia”, led by the party’s factional chairman, Benjamin Omale.
However, in a swift reaction to the publication, the Director General of the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027, Chief Akange Audu, an Akume loyalist, distanced the faction from the purported campaign council launch by the governor.
Akange Audu maintained categorically that the alliance had already “published its organisational and campaign structure for the 2027 general elections, comprising its Board of Patrons/Conveners, Advisory Council, Directorate and other members”, stressing that ”the publication remains the authentic and authoritative reference for our leadership, membership and operational structure”.
“The attention of the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027 has been drawn to a publication jointly signed by one Benjamin Omale and Hon. James Ornguga, purporting to present an Alia campaign structure in Benue State.
“The publication contains the names of several individuals, including our esteemed conveners, Senator Dr Jack Tilley-Gyado and Elder Simon Shango, as well as our candidates for the National Assembly and Benue State House of Assembly, among others.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027 categorically dissociates itself from the said publication and disowns any claim or suggestion that the individuals mentioned therein are associated with, or constitute members of, the purported Alia Campaign structure.
“The Alliance has formally published its organisational and campaign structure for the 2027 general elections, comprising its Board of Patrons/Conveners, Advisory Council, Directorate and other members. That publication remains the authentic and authoritative reference for our leadership, membership and operational structure.
“We find it particularly contentious that a purported Alia campaign structure would designate Governor Hyacinth Alia as its Chairman while listing the Founder and foremost political leader of the APC in Benue State, Sen. Dr George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, merely as a member. This arrangement raises legitimate questions about the recognition of established party leadership and the political history of the APC in Benue State.
“Since the APC secured victory in the 2023 general elections, the party’s established leadership and structures have, in practical terms, been sidelined by the Alia administration. This has contributed to the divisions and disagreements currently affecting the party in the state” Audu said.
He explained that the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027 remains committed to its stated mandate of mobilising support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
According to him, the political engagement of the alliance also extends to supporting APC candidates for the National Assembly and the Benue State House of Assembly who emerge from the list and leadership direction recognised by Senator George Akume.
The political leader enjoined to APC state, local government, ward executives, stakeholders, members and the general public to disregard the purported publication.
While stressing the need to be united and work as a team, Akange maintained that the Alliance is an independent and clearly structured political mobilisation platform. Its identity, leadership and membership cannot be appropriated, manipulated or misrepresented through unauthorised publications.
