The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the emergence of a strategic alliance led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima in 2027.
The party accused the group of harbouring a hidden agenda to undermine the political fortunes of Governor Hyacinth Alia ahead of the 2027 governorship election, warning that its activities could create divisions within the ruling party in the state.
The Director-General of the Benue State Tinubu/Alia 2027 Campaign Council, Citizen Richard Asema, stated the party’s position during a press briefing, where he described the formation of the Strategic Alliance for Tinubu/Shettima Re-election 2027 as unnecessary and potentially damaging to the APC's electoral prospects.
Asema expressed concern over the involvement of prominent APC members, including Akume and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, in the alliance.
He also questioned the inclusion of governorship candidates of opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), as well as members of other minority political parties.
According to him, the composition of the alliance raises questions about its actual intentions and the political interests it seeks to advance.
“The APC in Benue State, under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and the chairmanship of Benjamin Omale, wishes to strongly reject this purported Strategic Alliance and its Campaign Council,” he said.
Asema alleged that the group was designed to sabotage Alia's re-election bid while presenting itself as a platform for mobilising support for President Tinubu.
“From all credible intelligence available to the party, this Strategic Alliance has a hidden agenda, which is to sabotage the election of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia in the 2027 elections, while masquerading as supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he alleged.
He explained that the Benue APC had already constituted a campaign council comprising more than 900 party leaders and members to coordinate its mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The council, he said, was inaugurated on November 5 at IBB Square, Makurdi, with several individuals now associated with the Akume-led alliance initially appointed as members.
Asema alleged that some of them subsequently declined to participate in the activities of the officially constituted campaign council before announcing the formation of the rival platform.
He described their actions as political mischief and urged APC members involved in the alliance to withdraw.
The campaign council maintained that the APC remained firmly positioned to win the 2027 elections in Benue, citing its electoral performance and control of elective positions across the state.
Asema recalled that the party won the governorship election in 2023, delivered President Tinubu in the state and secured two of the three senatorial seats.
He further stated that the APC currently controls 27 of the 32 seats in the Benue State House of Assembly, 10 of the 11 federal constituencies, 23 local government chairmanship positions and all 276 elected councillorship seats.
He attributed the party's confidence to what he described as the achievements of the Alia administration in infrastructure development, industrialisation, employment generation and education.
The employment of 9,700 teachers, regular payment of salaries and pensions, and clearance of outstanding arrears were among the administration's achievements highlighted by the campaign council.
“APC doesn't need any alliance to win the 2027 elections and hereby warns against any attempt to confuse the teeming members of the party and the good people of Benue State, who are already poised to vote for the party at the forthcoming elections,” Asema said.
He called on APC members participating in the Akume-led alliance to disengage immediately and return to the mainstream party structure under Governor Alia.
The Benue Tinubu/Alia Campaign Council reaffirmed its commitment to securing victory for both Tinubu and Alia in the 2027 elections.
Leave a Reply