By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State escalated sharply on Wednesday following parallel ward congresses conducted by two rival factions loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume.
The deep-seated political rift, which emerged shortly after Governor Alia assumed office in 2023, has now resulted in the emergence of parallel ward executive committees, further entrenching the division within the state chapter of the party.
According to the faction led by Austin Agada, which is loyal to the SGF, the exercise held on Wednesday was merely a reaffirmation of the existing ward executives, allowing them to continue in office.
In contrast, supporters of Governor Alia maintained that the congress conducted across the state produced entirely new executives through a consensus arrangement. They argued that the tenure of the previous executives had legally expired, necessitating a fresh election.
Speaking separately on Thursday, spokespersons for both factions insisted that their actions were consistent with the guidelines issued by the party’s national secretariat.
Daniel Ihomun, the Publicity Secretary of the Agada-led faction, congratulated the affirmed ward executives, describing their return as a testament to the confidence reposed in them by party members.
“We heartily congratulate all ward executives who were affirmed by their respective congresses to continue in office for another tenure of four years,” Ihomun said. “Your reaffirmation is a demonstration of the confidence reposed in you by party faithful. We urge you to justify this trust by remaining transparent, inclusive, dedicated and committed to strengthening the party at the grassroots.”
He emphasized that the mandate given to the executives was a call to service and not an avenue for personal interest.
Ihomun also praised Akume for what he termed exemplary leadership and a stabilizing influence on the party. He noted that the SGF’s guidance and commitment continued to provide direction for the APC in Benue.
“With the remarkable success recorded at the ward congresses, the Benue State APC is more united, focused and determined than ever to consolidate its strength and mobilise effectively towards delivering victory for Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” Ihomun added.
However, James Ornguga, the Publicity Secretary of the caretaker committee loyal to Governor Alia, rejected the claim that old executives were simply returned. He insisted that new leaders were elected by consensus, as the tenure of the former executives had elapsed.
“What happened during our ward congresses yesterday was consensus; there were no guidelines for old executives to be returned. Their tenure has elapsed,” Ornguga said.
He provided a detailed timeline of the expirations: “In the case of ward executives, their tenure elapsed in July 2025; local government executives’ tenure elapsed in September 2025, while the state executives’ tenure ended on February 8 this year. So, the lifespan of the entire executives has officially ended.”
The emergence of parallel executives further complicates the political landscape in Benue State, raising questions about the party’s unity and preparedness ahead of future elections.
