By Our Reporter, With Agency Reports
INTERNAL political divisions within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have intensified following the rejection of a purported strategic alliance involving a faction of the party and opposition politicians by the Tinubu/Alia 2027 Campaign Council.
The campaign council described the alliance as a plot to undermine Governor Hyacinth Alia’s re-election bid in 2027, despite its promoters presenting it as a platform to support the second-term ambition of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Mr Richard Asema, Director-General of the Tinubu/Alia 2027 Campaign Council in Benue, stated the position at a news conference on Friday in Makurdi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some APC members loyal to Senator George Akume, the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), alongside prominent politicians from other parties, recently inaugurated a strategic alliance campaign council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The alliance reportedly comprises a faction of the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and other opposition groups.
Prominent opposition figures associated with the arrangement include former Governor Samuel Ortom, Benue PDP governorship candidate, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), and Benue Labour Party governorship candidate, Mr Matthias Ibyuan, among others.
Asema expressed concern that some APC members, including senior officials of the Federal Government, had aligned with opposition politicians under the arrangement.
He specifically mentioned SGF Akume and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, as being associated with the alliance.
According to him, an examination of the membership of the purported campaign council showed that it included governorship candidates of opposition parties, particularly the PDP and LP.
He said the Benue APC, under the leadership of Governor Alia and the state chairman, Mr Benjamin Omale, rejected the alliance and its campaign council.
Asema alleged that the alliance had a hidden agenda to weaken Alia politically and frustrate his re-election ambition while using support for Tinubu’s second-term bid as a cover.
He recalled that the state APC had earlier constituted a campaign council comprising more than 900 party leaders, which was inaugurated on November 5.
He said several individuals associated with the purported strategic alliance were also appointed to the APC campaign council but subsequently announced that they would not participate in its activities.
Asema described their decision as political mischief and urged APC members involved in the alliance to withdraw and return to the mainstream party leadership in the state.
He insisted that the APC remained strong in Benue and did not require any alliance to secure victory in the 2027 general elections.
The campaign council director-general expressed confidence that the party would perform better in the forthcoming elections than it did in 2023.
He said the APC won the governorship election in 2023, secured two of the state’s three senatorial seats and delivered Benue State for Tinubu.
Asema further said the party currently controls 27 of the 32 seats in the State House of Assembly, 10 of the 11 federal constituencies, all 23 local government chairmanship positions and the 276 elected councillorship seats.
He attributed the party’s confidence to what he described as Alia’s achievements in infrastructure development, industrialisation, education and workers’ welfare.
Asema warned that the purported alliance could create confusion among APC members and weaken the party ahead of the 2027 elections.He urged its promoters to desist from actions capable of undermining party unity, while reaffirming the campaign council’s commitment to securing victory for both Tinubu and Alia in 2027.
