Abba Moro tears Benue APC apart

The lingering leadership crisis within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has taken a fresh twist following the appearance of an APC-branded banner declaring support for Senate Minority Leader and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senatorial candidate, Senator Abba Moro.

The banner surfaced on Saturday at the PDP campaign flag-off for Benue South Senatorial District in Otukpo, where Moro formally kicked off his campaign for another term in the Senate.

The event attracted prominent PDP leaders, candidates and supporters, including former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Mike Aondoakaa, SAN.

However, one of the developments that attracted attention at the gathering was the presence of persons with a banner bearing the APC name and logo and declaring support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Moro.

The banner, sighted by IDOMA VOICE, read: “All Progressives Congress (APC), Benue South Senatorial District (Zone C), under the leadership of Austin Agada, supports Tinubu and Moro.”

The development has generated fresh political interest, particularly because Moro is the PDP candidate seeking to retain the Benue South senatorial seat, while the APC is expected to challenge him for the position.

It also comes against the backdrop of the prolonged battle for the soul of the Benue APC between political forces loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia and those associated with Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

At the centre of the crisis has been the struggle over the leadership of the state chapter of the party, particularly between the Austin Agada-led executive associated with the Akume political bloc and the Benjamin Omale leadership backed by Alia.

The crisis deepened in few years back when the APC National Working Committee dissolved the Agada-led executive and inaugurated a caretaker committee headed by Benjamin Omakolo.

Agada challenged the action in court and secured a judgment setting aside the dissolution of his executive and the constitution of the Omale-led caretaker committee.

Despite the court battle, the two camps continued to lay claim to the party structure, with the leadership tussle eventually culminating in parallel congresses in March 2026.

While the Alia camp returned Omale as chairman at its congress, the rival bloc affirmed Agada, further exposing the depth of the division within the ruling party.

Attempts were subsequently made to reconcile Alia and Akume, with both leaders publicly declaring a truce in May following intervention by party stakeholders. Differences, however, remained over some political issues ahead of the 2027 elections.

The legal battle over the party structure took another turn in June when the Court of Appeal affirmed the Agada-led executive and upheld the decision setting aside the Omale caretaker committee.

It is against this background that the appearance of an APC-branded banner bearing Agada’s name at Moro’s PDP campaign flag-off has opened another chapter in the party’s internal politics.

The banner suggests that some persons identifying with the APC in Benue South are prepared to support Tinubu at the presidential level while backing Moro, an opposition candidate, for the Senate.

Old Onjeh allegations resurface

The development has also revived allegations that rocked the Benue South APC following the 2023 general elections.

Comrade Daniel Onjeh, who contested the Benue South senatorial election on the platform of the APC in 2023, had accused Agada of working against his candidacy and supporting Moro.

In a petition to the national leadership of the APC, Onjeh alleged that Agada engaged in anti-party activities that benefited Moro during the election.

The allegations were disputed at the time and did not establish that Agada personally supported Moro.

However, the appearance of Saturday’s banner bearing Agada’s name and declaring support for “Tinubu and Moro” is expected to reignite the controversy as political activities intensify ahead of 2027.

Onjeh has since left the APC for the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, further altering the political equation in Benue South.

Alia battles to take Benue South

The controversy is coming at a time Governor Alia and his political allies are intensifying efforts to strengthen the APC in Benue South and challenge Moro’s hold on the senatorial district.

Political developments within the zone indicate that the governor’s camp is assembling prominent politicians, party leaders and grassroots mobilisers as part of efforts to improve the APC’s fortunes across the nine local government areas of Benue South.

For Alia, securing Benue South would not only strengthen the APC’s chances in the senatorial election but could also prove important to his wider political calculations ahead of the governorship election.

The emergence of a group identifying itself with the APC while openly backing Moro therefore exposes the challenge confronting the ruling party as it attempts to unite its competing blocs and confront the PDP in the zone.

Moro, who has represented Benue South in the Senate since 2019, remains one of the most influential PDP politicians in the state and currently serves as Senate Minority Leader.

His campaign for another term is expected to face stiff opposition from the APC and other political parties.

However, Saturday’s development suggests that the contest could be complicated by cross-party alliances and the unresolved political differences within the Benue APC.

IDOMA VOICE, however, could not independently establish that Austin Agada authorised the banner or directed any APC member to support Moro.

Efforts to obtain Agada’s reaction on whether he was aware of the group and its declaration of support for the PDP senatorial candidate were unsuccessful as of press time.