Benue APC Crisis: All George Akume’s Supporters lose return tickets to NASS except for his wife
The All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Benue State have reportedly reshaped the political structure of the party, with supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia dominating the contests and displacing several loyalists of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
According to The Nigerian Tribune, the report stated that the party conducted direct primaries across the state, producing surprising results across the senatorial districts and leading some defeated aspirants to petition the party’s appeal panel over alleged irregularities.
It noted that most of Akume’s loyalists who sought return tickets for Senate and House of Representatives seats lost, except his wife, Regina Akume, who retained the Tarka/Gboko federal constituency seat, and Blessing Onuh, daughter of former Senate President David Mark, who also secured her ticket.
It added that some political observers viewed the outcome as the emergence of a new political order that would allow Governor Alia to concentrate on governance, while others believed it could deepen divisions among political actors in the state.
A political analyst, Andrew Anas, described the development as positive, saying it had confirmed Governor Alia’s position as the leader of the APC in the state. He argued that party members preferred candidates who would support the governor’s development agenda rather than those who would oppose him.
Another political observer, Inalegwu Okwafu, described the primaries as peaceful, free and fair, stating that contestants had equal opportunities to participate and voters were able to make their choices.
However, another party stakeholder, identified as Amos, disagreed, alleging that the election was affected by irregularities and fraud. He said aggrieved aspirants had petitioned the appeal panel but chose a peaceful approach to resolve their complaints.
He praised Senator George Akume for his calm leadership, describing him as a stabilising figure who had helped maintain peace within the party.
The report further stated that there were speculations that opposition parties might work with aggrieved aspirants to challenge Governor Alia, but Amos dismissed the possibility, saying party stakeholders would not abandon the APC because of internal disagreements.
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