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A coalition of civil society organizations and minority opposition parties in Benue State have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to urgently intervene in the lingering political crisis within the party in the state.
Recall that Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Governor Hyacinth Iornem Alia of Benue State have been embroiled in a protracted political dispute since 2023, worrying over control of the state party structure and loyalty, with supporters divided into two opposing camps.
Addressing a press conference at Top Rank Hotel, Utako, Abuja, in a statement dated October 15, 2026 and jointly signed by Comrade Richard Oduma, Joseph Uyeh, Jonah Ojobo and Dr. Agbo Madaki, the coalition accused Senator Akume and some APC supporters of promoting parallel political structures aimed at weakening the administration of Governor Alia.
The coalition alleged that Akume was leading a “rainbow coalition” involving elements of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labor Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to weaken the political influence of the governor.
According to the group, “such activities could deepen political divisions, trigger insecurity and undermine President Tinubu’s electoral prospects in Benue State, if not checked and addressed immediately.
“We advise the SGF to remember that he is a statesman, not an opposition leader. As the highest ranking member of the ruling party in the North Central Zone and governor of Benue State, senator and minister, his mandate is to build bridges, not destroy them,” the statement read.
He further urged members of the National Assembly allegedly aligned with Akume to reconcile with Governor Alia, while calling on the APC leadership to caution Lawyer Pius Akutah over his alleged involvement in anti-party activities deliberately tailored to target the second term ambition of the governor.
