Benue APC ‘collapses’ over imposition of unpopular deputy guber candidate

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue South have raised the alarm over alleged imposition of a popular deputy governorship candidate.

The party leader said George Akume is imposing his cousin, Sam Ode against the wishes of the people of Zone C.

In a strongly worded letter to APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullah Adamu, the national leadership of the party was urged to quickly wade into the impasse and reverse any unpopular decision that may bring the party into collision with genuine members and voters in the state.

Among others, the Benue South Senatorial District APC leaders alleged that Akume, using two henchmen, Chief Simon Shango and Senator Jack Tilley Gado has been making unpopular move to impose his nephew, Sam Ode on the party’s governorship candidate, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.

The Benue APC South Elders’ lletter entitled “Impasse on the choice of the Deputy Governorship candidate in Benue State” and dated August 17, 2022 warned that the members will resist the ploy to impose Sam Ode on the people.

The letter to Adamu read in part ” Once again, we wish to use this medium to draw Your Excellency’s kind attention to yet again, an undercurrent scheming by the leaders of the party in the state, and Senator George Akume in connivance with two of his kinsmen, Chief Simon Shango, and Senator Jack Tilley Gado to undermine the interest of the party in our Zone by imposing their nephew, Hon Sam Ode as the running mate to the governorship candidate, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia.

“Sir, reliable information at our disposal is to the effect that on Tuesday 16th August 2022, a plan was hatched by the trio above to convene a meeting of some selected members of the State Working Committee of the party in Benue State at a designated venue in Abuja for the sole purpose of passing a vote of confidence on the purported choice of Hon Sam Ode as a running mate by just a handful of this leaders without any form of consultations with the leadership, elders and other stakeholders in Benue South Senatorial District.

“In arriving at the new plot, Senator George Akume, Chief Simon Shango and Senator Jack Tilley Gado, who conceived this latest plot as their last resort and mindful of the fact that members of the State Working Committee of the Tiv extraction from the two Senatorial District of Zone A and B will overrule that of the Benue South Senatorial District (Idoma) that will constitute one-third of those in attendance.