A group of former members of the Benue State House of Assembly, related to the All Progressives Congress (APC), voted on Wednesday to confirm the party’s leadership, which includes Austin Agada as chairman and Senator George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The forum demanded that the Benue State government stop further separating the party, strengthen its connection with its representatives in the center, and take severe actions to stop the herders’ and farmers’ crises from getting out of hand and becoming politicized.
Read also: Nkechi Blessing Threatens to Expose Verydarkman’s Bedroom Videos, Shares Clips
The forum’s chairman and former speaker of the sixth and seventh state assemblies, Dave Iorhemba, addressed a press conference in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
He stated that the former members have been concerned about the strained relationship between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the SGF, as well as the barrage of insulting remarks, the use of derogatory language, and innuendos directed towards the SGF’s person by the governor and his team, when they should be cooperating for a greater Benue.
According to Iorhemba, Senator George Akume is the cornerstone of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having supported and developed the organization in the state ever since it was founded.
“Senator Akume is equally the person who in consultation with critical stakeholders conceived and birthed the direct direct primary election at the gubernatorial primary election with the sole purpose of according victory at the primaries to the governor who is the latest beneficiary of the SGF’s political sagacity.
“We declare our unflinching support to our leader, Senator George Akume, and state in clear terms that the leadership of the APC in Benue State, is not an issue but rests unreservedly on the SGF in whom it’s epitomized as the perfect politician who readily lends a hand to the least in the society.
“As politicians and members of the APC, we note and restate for the benefit of those who do not know that, it is the party that wins votes at the elections and not the candidate.
Read also: Drama as Portable Clashes with Kesari at Computer Village
“It is thus most unwarranted and an open display of political naivety for the governor and his team to openly declare that APC won the past election because of his candidature. We refrain ourselves from appraising the pedigree of the governor preceding his candidature but state categorically that votes were canvassed for the party and not the candidates”, Iorhemba stated.
The governor has chosen to accept an alleged acting state chairman of the party and establish a parallel state secretariat, he said, despite court orders maintaining the status quo of the Agada-led executive and removing the interim orders preventing Agada from continuing as the state chairman.
He denounced the crisis rocking the APC in the state, including the court cases arising from the challenge of the purported removal of comrade Austin Agada.
They urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to bring peace back to Benue and work together with state representatives to the national parliament and other federal appointments of President Tinubu to bring more democratic benefits to the state.
SOURCE: Dailypost
