Akume vs Alia: APC stakeholders planning to surrender Benue to opposition in 2027- Group

A socio-political organisation, the National Youths Coalition (NYC), has alleged that some Abuja-based chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are plotting to undermine the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections by conceding Benue State to opposition parties.

The group made the allegation in a statement issued on Thursday by its National Convener, Mr. John Vershima, Esq., and made available to journalists.

According to the coalition, the alleged plot was hatched during a meeting held in Abuja at the instance of a former APC senatorial aspirant from Benue State.

The group claimed that about 21 aggrieved APC stakeholders from the state met three days earlier in the office of a senior member of the Federal Executive Council, where they allegedly resolved not to support Governor Hyacinth Alia or work for the APC during the 2027 elections.

The NYC further alleged that the meeting was linked to a strategic political alliance between the unnamed federal cabinet member and the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning that the development could cost the APC all elective positions in the state if left unchecked.

“The strategic partnership will surely be a repeat of what happened in 2023 when former Governor Samuel Ortom allegedly used his influence to ensure that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, won the presidential election in Benue State,” the statement read.

The coalition argued that the outcome of the 2023 presidential election contributed to the PDP’s defeat in the subsequent governorship election in the state.

It, therefore, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and stop the alleged plot before it undermines the APC’s fortunes in Benue.

The group also urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to immediately resolve the lingering leadership crisis between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, warning that failure to do so could deepen divisions within the party ahead of the 2027 polls.

The coalition further expressed dissatisfaction over what it described as the inadequate compensation paid to victims of the Zaki Biam-Gbeji massacre during the tenure of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Mike Aondoakaa.