Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Benue State chapter of All Progressive Congress, Chief Benjamin Omale has dismissed claims from the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr. Pius Akutah that he had secured the blessing of the party in the state to contest for the 2027 governorship election.
It would be recalled that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume had thrown his weight behind Akutah to drag the APC governorship ticket with Governor Hyacinth Alia.
However at the weekend, Pius Akutah visited Gboko with a large crowd where he reportedly informed the elders of Jemgbagh that he had got the supports of the Benue APC to aspire for the position.
In his reaction while speaking with one of our reporters over the phone this afternoon, Chief Benjamin Omale stated that the Unity Caretaker Committee of the party which he leads as its chairman is the only recognized organ of the party by the National Working Committee.
Omale said since Akutah hasn’t come to him and other members of the Unity Caretaker Committee, then he was being economical with truths by claiming that he had secured their nod to contest for the state governorship seat in 2027.
“Barrister Akutah hasn’t met us. He hasn’t also come to declare his intention to run for governorship in 2027 to us so his claim before the elders of Jemgbagh is untrue” Omale noted.
The chairman said that the party hasn’t given Akutah any blessing even though he is a bonafide member of the APC who also has the constitutional right to aspire to be governor in Benue state.
Omale added that Austin Agada whom Akutah presumably met to declare his intention to run for governorship should stop playing with the law since he and his team had been dissolved by the NWC of the party since last year.
Omale added: ” I am the only one that the National Executive Council of the APC where President Bola Tinubu presides recognizes as the chairman of the party in Benue state so anything anyone is doing outside the decision of the NEC is null and void.
“For as long as the NEC of the party recognizes me as the state chairman of APC in Benue state, anything that doesn’t come out of my office is illegal and those behind it are doing against the highest organ of the party as well as President Bola “