Governor’s race: APC reconciles in Benue, claims Alia

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue says its protracted internal crisis has been resolved after a high-level reconciliation meeting in Makurdi.

The peace meeting brought together Governor Hyacinth Alia, party leaders, legislators and other influential stakeholders across the state.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, announced the resolutions after closed-door deliberations on Sunday.

Akume said stakeholders have been openly examining grievances, disagreements and political misunderstandings that have weakened the party.

According to him, the members agreed to prioritize unity, dialogue and mutual respect moving forward.

“We examined our mistakes and decided to rebuild an inclusive party,” Akume said.
He said party leaders accepted that divisions had slowed political progress and affected internal confidence.

Akume disclosed that the members have reached a consensus in support of Alia returning as the governorship candidate.

He said the governor acknowledged the concerns raised by aggrieved members during the discussions.

“The governor has apologized and this is an important step towards reconciliation,” he said.

Akume said he also conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s message on party unity.

According to him, the President urged the elected officials of the APC to work together. He said this includes lawmakers at both the state and national levels.

Akume expressed confidence that the meeting will strengthen party cohesion in Benue.

He added that the unit would improve cooperation for future political activities.

Speaking later, Alia described the meeting as timely and necessary.

The governor said the meeting was designed to heal divisions and restore trust.

“This meeting was deliberate and aimed at bringing everyone together,” Alia said.

He said he apologized to members who felt left out or offended. “I apologized on behalf of all members to the aggrieved people,” he said.

Alia stressed that Benue’s interests must rise above personal ambitions. “Benue is bigger than any individual and unity must prevail,” he said.

The governor said reconciliation remains necessary for effective governance and development.

He added that leadership requires sacrifice, understanding and collective responsibility.

On ticket machines, Alia dismissed reports of any official directive. He said no formal approval had come from the party leadership.

“The president and the party leadership did not approve automatic tickets,” he said, explaining that previous comments were just calls for support.

NAN reports that the meeting was attended by federal appointees, legislators and representatives of stakeholders.

NAN

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