• Ex-AGF Aondoakaa says deal is a partnership to ensure “good leadership.”
• Pact seeks to protect politicians from “premature retirement.”
• Leadership to decide on consensus governorship candidate for next year.
The Benue State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have entered a strategic partnership aimed at producing “good leadership” in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections, a former federal minister said on Sunday.
Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), a former Attorney-General of the Federation and a governorship aspirant on the APC platform, disclosed the arrangement after visiting former Governor Samuel Ortom at his residence in Makurdi, where Ortom hosted a solidarity visit by former appointees.
Aondoakaa said the collaboration is being led in the state by APC national figure Senator George Akume and stressed that the pact is a partnership and not a merger. “We are collaborating together with PDP under the leadership of APC. Our leader has formed an alliance, partnership, both at the national level and here in Benue. We appear to be heading towards one direction which is good leadership and the idea is to ensure that the state, Benue State, have good leadership,” he told journalists.
He argued that strategic alliances between parties are common globally and often reflect practical interests at specific levels of governance. “We are not talking of merger. All over the world, parties have strategic partnership. In fact, some parties do not participate in national elections,” Aondoakaa said, adding that the arrangement extends to the North Central and aims to secure credible leadership irrespective of party label.
Asked whether the pact would produce a consensus candidate for next year’s governorship contest, Aondoakaa said such decisions would be taken by party leaders at both state and national levels. “We are politicians. The saddest thing is for a politician, irrespective of your political party, to be retired prematurely,” he said.
Aondoakaa urged leaders and members of both parties to return to their constituencies to explain the rationale behind the collaboration, warning that failure to do so could expose the state to future political difficulties.
The development signals a possible realignment of political forces in Benue as preparations for the 2027 elections gather pace, coming amid ongoing internal disputes within both the APC and PDP in the state.
