APC, Anti-Alia Group Clash Over Party Support In Benue

The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has clashed with a political group, the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027, over support for Governor Hyacinth Alia’s re-election bid.

The conveners of the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027 disclosed that they were not mobilising for the re-election of Governor Alia.

LEADERSHIP observed that the conveners of the group are loyalists of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Dan-Morgan Ihomun, the group said it is working with all political parties that have adopted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as their presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

Ihomun said the conveners, after a meeting in Abuja, appointed a retired Permanent Secretary of the Benue State Bureau of Internal Affairs, Chief Akange Audu, as Director-General of the organisation alongside other officials.

The statement read in part: “The Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027 is committed to mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, as well as for all National and State Assembly candidates who emerge from the Austin Agada-led APC State Executive Committee.

“To strengthen its organisational structure and grassroots mobilisation across Benue State, the Alliance has adopted the APC State Executive Committee, Local Government Executive Committees and Ward Executive Committees under the leadership of Austin Agada as integral components of its mobilisation framework.”

Reacting to the group’s position, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Benue State, Benedict Yawe, said anyone working within the party against the re-election of Governor Alia is not a member of the APC.

He said, “Anyone who is claiming to be a member of our party under the leadership of Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia and the APC state chairman, Chief Benjamin Omale, is not a member of the APC in the state. In Benue APC, our members are supporting all our candidates, starting from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“There is a small group of few individuals who are pretending to be our members but they are not. Governor Alia has the numbers to win his re-election. Our hands are open to anyone who is ready to return to APC,” Yawe said.