THE BENUE State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday held the Guma 1 State Constituency primary election even as Governor Hyacinth Alia had earlier announced the suspension of the exercise over alleged security threats.
The party has announced Hon. Uche Peter Terwase as winner of the primary election.
APC State Publicity Secretary, Dan-Morgan Ihomun, posted on his Facebook wall on Saturday night that Hon. Terwase won the election conducted by the Prof. Kabiru Ibrahim-led 2024 APC bye-election primaries committee.
Morgan said: “Uche polled a total number of 25 to defeat Hon Maurice Orwough the other aspirant who scored 3 votes.
“Announcing the result at the Avine Agbum Hotel in Daudu, Guma Local Government Area, which also served as the collation Centre for the primary election, Prof. Kabiru, Chairman of Primary Election Committee stated that the election was not only free, fair and credible but represented the wishes of APC members in Guma 1 State Constituency.
“Chairman of the party in Benue State, Comrade Augustine Agada, while commending APC members in Guma for a peaceful primary election, thanked them for their show of maturity during the primary election.
“APC congratulates Uche Peter Terwase on his victory”.
A source in Guma LGA, who pleaded anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, told National Record on Saturday that Governor Alia and his supporters are backing one of his aides, Mr Maurice Orwough, to clinch the party’s ticket for the bye-election. But Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and his supporters are backing a different candidate.
According to the source, Governor Alia’s group had reached a consensus on Friday to support Mr Orwough, a decision said to have received fierce resistance from Akume, who allegedly prevailed on the National Working Committee of the APC to deploy an Election Committee from Abuja to conduct the primary, thereby deepening the conflict that has engulfed the party for some time now.
Earlier on Saturday, Governor Alia had suspended indefinitely the primary election meant to produce a candidate of the party for the February 4th by-election to fill a vacancy in the State House of Assembly.
Hon. Yanmar Ortese, who occupied the Guma 1 state constituency seat, resigned last year following his appointment as Commissioner of Health and Human Services by Governor Alia, hence the need for a bye-election to fill the vacancy.
Addressing newsmen and stakeholders of the APC on Saturday at Government House, Makurdi, Alia explained that he decided to suspend the party’s delegates primary election as a result of crisis that was likely to break up. He said some people from outside Guma LGA had hijacked the exercise.
“Security of the state remains paramount to us. Today, the APC is to conduct primary but it was marred by misconduct and this posed insecurity in Guma. It became imperative to calm the irate youth.
“Party stakeholders felt disenchanted. I would not want any semblance of insecurity in the state. I suspend the delegate primary. Sad enough, the party faithful came out but were stopped at the gate by people who do not belong to the local government; all stakeholders were locked out and youths became angry. Party faithful must help keep the peace in the state.
“I do not want any bloodshed as people get sensational and sentimental about politics. I have asked the security operatives to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order. I know that the National Working Committee of our party will do all to ensure that the right thing is done,” Alia stated.
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National Record however gathered that the APC leadership in the state kicked against Governor Alia’s decision on the ground that he lacks the constitutional powers to suspend the election.
According to Daily Trust in a report on primary, state spokesman of the APC, Dan Morgan, confirmed that the primary election was held successfully and a candidate emerged to fly the party’s ticket during the forthcoming by-election. Morgan however did not disclose the flag bearer’s name.
Daily Trust quoted Morgan to have asked: “does the governor have the power to suspend the primary election?”
