A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State loyal to the governor, Hyacinth Alia, had inaugurated a new executive to run the party.
The APC in Benue has been embroiled in a crisis, with factions allegedly led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and Governor Hyacinth Alia, resulting in separate party offices in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
In an attempt to resolve the impasse, the National Working Committee of the party ordered both factions to withdraw all lawsuits within seven days for reconciliation. The faction led by Comrade Austin Agada complied with the directive and withdrew its only case before High Court 4 in Makurdi, which was subsequently struck out by Justice T.A. Kume.
However, the faction led by Comrade Benjamin Omakolo went ahead to swear in new executives at the party’s secretariat close to the Government House in Makurdi.
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Chief of Staff to the Benue Governor, Paul Biam, who represented Governor Hyacinth Alia at the ceremony, described the event as ‘historic’ in the state’s politics, emphasising the unity of purpose in the party.
“This is the day of our liberation. We will conquer; do not be afraid. The beginning may be rough, but stand firm. There can’t be two governors in the state. We have only one leader of the party, who is the governor. Omakolo has come to stay. Let us agree that, while we were doing it behind closed doors, it has now come to fruition. We have sworn to uphold party supremacy and will keep APC flying in the state,” Biam stated.
He also noted the support from six National Assembly members and assured that the governor fully backs the new executives.
While the Omakolo faction enjoys the support of Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Agada faction, which brought the governor to power, looks up to the SGF as the party leader in the state.
The state’s ALGON chairman and caretaker chairman of Konshisha LGA, Philip Achuah, pledged the loyalty of council chairmen in the state to the Omakolo-led executives, emphasising their commitment to the APC and the progress of the state.
