Benue APC rift continues as Alia and Akume differ on ‘automatic ticket’ outcome

A new rift emerged in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, as Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, presented conflicting reports on the resolution reached at the reconciliation meeting held on Sunday.

The meeting held in Makurdi at Government House was organized at the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of efforts to restore unity within the party after prolonged internal strife.

Speaking with journalists after the session, Akume said the main aim of the meeting was to rebuild trust and ensure inclusivity across the party ranks. He added that one of the key insights reached was to grant automatic tickets to all current officials, from governors to lawmakers at the state and national level.

He also revealed that Governor Alia regretted the division that had hit his party.

Senator Akume said, “If there is anything we did wrong, we want to go back and we want everyone to have a place, we want to be inclusive in this party.

“Secondly, the Pastor (Governor) expressed his regret, and that was very good. He told us that he was sorry for what happened.

“And of course again, all those who were elected on the APC platform, from the State Assembly to the National Assembly still have to come back. Automatically, they have to come back and Fr has to come back to us. Those are the issues we discussed.”

However, Governor Alia offered a different interpretation of the outcome of the meeting, and rejected the notion that an automatic ticket had been agreed.

According to the governor, both the President and the national party leadership have consistently ruled out such an arrangement, and have insisted that nominations must remain competitive.

He admitted he had apologized at the meeting but said it was done in the spirit of reconciliation and unity.

Alia said, “We all agreed to be under one roof and the meaning is to reconcile with each other and find common ground as we worked and operated previously.

“To work for the progress of our party and the progress of the APC in the state and the nation at large, and we must not miss the opportunity for the citizens of the country to enjoy it.

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“For those who feel aggrieved, I must apologize on behalf of all APC members. By doing this, I am deliberately acting as a responsible party leader.”

Further clarification, the Governor emphasized that the issue of automatic ticketing is not the authority of individuals at the state level.

“This resolution is beyond the capabilities of both of us because the APC has conveyed it clearly to us and the President has mentioned it several times, as has the National Chairman of the APC, all of whom have said there is no automatic ticket.

“What the SGF said was a prayer and not a resolution, but a prayer to the people to see how they can support those who are serving at this time. That’s not what the President and the national chairman said. It was a call and a prayer to the citizens to be able to bring these people back.”

The disagreement underscores the factional divisions that still exist within the APC in Benue, where the protracted power struggle between Akume and Alia has unsettled the party structure for years.

The crisis has led to the emergence of competing groups, each claiming leadership of the party at various levels, and parallel executives produced from one region to another in recent congresses.