Benue APC crisis deepens, as Zone C elders insist on rejection of Sam Ode

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC in Benue State has assumed another dimension as stakeholders of the party from the Benue South Senatorial District have refused to reverse their rejection of the purported guber running mate, Sam Ode.

The decision of the Zone C APC elders
is coming barely four days after they had issued a strongly worded statement to reject the reported choice of Ode. They had bluntly denied knowledge of Ode as being nominated as deputy governorship candidate of the party in Benue State, saying they were not consulted over the choice.

The statement of the group was jointly signed by Sen Ameh Ebut, General Lawrence Onoja, Chief Stephen Lawani, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, Chief Audu Ogbeh, General Chris Garuba Engr. Morgan Okwoche, Chief Ameh Udoh, Prince Obande Omoi, Comrade Abba Yaro, Hon. Nick Eworo, Chief Johnson Inalegwu Agada, Chief Edwin Anyebe, and Hon. Philip Achegblu. They stated that the party was yet to arrive at the choice of Deputy Governorship Candidate.

Parts of the statement read: “The attention of the APC elders in Benue South Senatorial District has been drawn to a News item published online on 22nd July, 2022 by The Nigerian News, purporting the nomination of Dr Sam Ode as the running mate to the governorship candidate of APC in Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.

“With the mandate of the APC elders in Benue South Senatorial District which slot it is to produce the Deputy Governorship Candidate for the party, we wish to state as follows:
That the APC elders in Benue South were never consulted by anyone on the purported nomination of Dr. Sam Ode as running mate to the APC Governorship Candidate.

“That no elder of the party met under any committee of Wise Men or APC Elders’ Council to do any discussion on the choice of running mate to the APC governorship candidate on 21st July 2022 as claimed in the news.

“That APC Elders’ Council in Benue South Senatorial District is yet to be constituted after its dissolution by the current state working committee of the party on the assumption of office.

“That Chief John Ochoga is not the Chairman of any APC Elders’ Council in Benue South Senatorial District as the Elders Council has not been constituted after its dissolution.

The Zone C elders added that the purported nomination of Dr Sam Ode stands null and void, as according to them, the decision is a deliberate act of mischief makers.