Benue APC Reaffirms Unity, Rejects Parallel Platforms

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has declared a new era of unity and discipline, as party leaders and delegates gathered for a State Congress in Makurdi.

Speaking as Chairman of the Congress with the party delegates in Makurdi, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, and High Commissioner to Canada, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher described the event not merely as a meeting, but as a restoration of the party’s core values and principles.

“For three difficult years, our party endured distractions. We faced internal tre mors engineered not by strangers, but by some who once benefited the sweat, sacrifice, and structure of this very party.

“Some sought to create an alternative platform one that excluded the founders, ignored the elders, and attempted to sideline the leadership that built this house brick by brick.”

According to him, some members had attempted to create parallel platforms, sidelining the party’s founding leaders and structures.

“The APC is not a personal enterprise. It is an institution built on loyalty, structure, and collective destiny.

“The era of parallel platforms must end. The APC is organised, disciplined, and united. We will no longer allow internal ambition to override collective progress,” Hagher said.

He also urged members to reaffirm their loyalty to the national leadership, respect constitutional structures, and uphold the authority of party elders.

Hagher paid tribute to Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, for mentoring several current governors, senators, and ministers, and also recognised Senators Emmanuel Udende and Titus Zam, members of the House of Representatives and State Assembly, and legislators at the ward and local government levels for their steadfast support.

He particularly commended State Chairman Austin Agada for maintaining strong leadership amid internal challenges and praised Minister Joseph Utsev for his loyalty to the party.

He outlined a clear agenda for the party, to strengthen structures from ward to state level, pursue genuine reconciliation, prepare strategically for elections, restore confidence among supporters, and protect the integrity of the party’s mandate.

“Political parties survive not because of individuals, but because of institutions. When institutions are respected, democracy thrives. When they are undermined, instability follows. Today, we choose stability. Today, we choose unity. Today, we choose the future,” he said.