Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Benue Anti Corruption Watch,BACW has called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume to desist from his plans to ruin the All Progressive Congress in Benue state as a result of the leadership tussle between him and the governor of the state, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.
The group was reacting to a report to which was posted on Facebook by one of the Aides to Senator Akume which signaled that the former governor has sponsored some political parties in the state to take the All Progressive Congress and the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission to court to challenge the outcome of the last local government election.
Speaking on behalf of Benue Anti Corruption Watch, president of the pressure group, Barrister John Tion Esq said there are indications that over three hundred cases are being sponsored by the SGF against his own party, APC just because he wants to get at Governor Alia.
According to Tion, the election was freely and credibly conducted with attestations from independent observers as well as the association of political parties in Benue state. He stressed that giving several millions of naira to some political parties to challenge the outcome of the election is a sign of disloyalty on the part of Senator George Akume to the party which gave him the “exalted” position he occupies today.
The statement reads: “After failing to stop or disrupt the election through the helps of his men at the National Assembly and some federal government agencies, Senator Akume has now chosen to pay the legal bills of some political parties to invalidate APC’s victory in the court.
“We also have it on good authority that the Chief Justice of Benue state has been drafted into the plot as he has been given a list of judges that will be on the Panel so they can upturn the victory of the ruling party”
However, the group said that it has written the Nigerian Judicial Council, NJC so they can look into the issue and call the Chief Judge of Benue state to order.
It also noted that letters had been sent to The Presidency and the APC national secretariat to look into the case of Senator George Akume, an SGF under APC that is working with other political parties to upturn the victory of the party that gave him the position..
According to the pressure group, Senator Akume should focus on how to join hands with Governor Alia to develop Benue state and stop sponsoring media outings against the governor’s business trip to China.
Tion said it was sufficiently mentioned in the media that the governor was going to China being a hub of Agriculture to look for foreign investors that will invest in several sectors in Benue state.
He stressed that media attacks which came from the camp of Senator George Akume that the governor is in China to waste government funds were uncalled for and should be withdrawn.