Last-minute efforts by Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, to assert control over the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have suffered a major setback.
Sources reveal that Governor Alia met separately on Monday with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, to express his dissatisfaction with the list of National Assembly candidates uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal by the party’s National Secretariat.
Governor Alia has been locked in a fierce power struggle for control of the state’s party structure with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and former Governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume.
Further checks indicate that in the list submitted to INEC by the APC National Working Committee (NWC), Governor Alia lost significant ground to Senator Akume. The National Secretariat reportedly upturned the results of the National Assembly primaries conducted in the North-Central state last May.
Acting on the recommendations of its Primary Election Appeal Committee, the party replaced two senatorial candidates believed to be aligned with the Governor. The revised list, signed by National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, replaced the candidates for Benue North-East and Benue North-West.
In their stead, Akume’s loyalists, Emmanuel Udende and Titus Zam, were cleared for the ticket.
Additionally, six House of Representatives candidates aligned with Governor Alia were replaced. The SGF-backed candidates who made the final list include Austin Achado, Dickson Tarkighir, Sekav Iyortyom, Terser Ugbor, and Sesoo Ikpagher.
A party source told *Nigerian Tribune* that Governor Alia visited the residence of the APC National Chairman on Monday night to lobby for a review of the uploaded list.
“He met with Professor Yilwatda after his meeting with President Tinubu,” the source said. “The National Chairman was diplomatic, assuring the Governor that he would present his complaints to the NWC. However, the truth is that the revised Benue nomination list has the blessing of the Presidency and cannot be reversed.”
Sources added that Governor Alia is expected to return to Abuja on Wednesday to make a final attempt to alter the list ahead of the Saturday deadline.
Meanwhile, the APC NWC held a meeting on Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat to finalize all nomination lists ahead of the INEC deadline.
