Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Coalition For Good Governance has accused the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwadta of using his office to split the Benue State chapter of the party into two by selling Congresses forms to two separate camps.
The group made this accusation in a press briefing which was addressed today at Grand Ibro Hotel, Abuja by its chairman, Secretary and Publicity Secretary, Chief Anthony Uwu, Mrs Margaret Terna and Comrade John Terkura.
The group recalled how the Progressive Governors recently held a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Professor Nentawe Yilwadta and members of the party’s NWC at the Imo State Governors Lodge in Abuja where an agreement was reached that all the congresses forms should be purchased by the APC governors who will distribute them to those that will jostle for party positions.
According to the group, this agreement was sealed in order to prevent post Congress crisis which may diminish the chances of the party in the forthcoming general elections across the Federation.
The group stated further that after the APC national chairman had sold the Congress forms to all the Progressive Governors as agreed, he still went ahead and sold another set of Congress forms to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The text of the press conference reads in parts: “This is a plot to cause troubles in the Benue APC and when the troubles start, the chances of President Bola Tinubu winning his election in Benue state will be very slim.
“What really happened is that immediately after it was resolved that it was state governors that should purchase all the Congress forms, the national chairman went behind the Progressive Governors and met with Senator Akume who was accompanied to a secret meeting by Mr. Mathias Byuan, the Executive Director Finance and Administration of the Federal Housing Authority.
“We have it on good authority that at the meeting, Professor Nentawe Yilwadta, after he was offered some money by Mathias Byuan, agreed that Senator Akume should pay money into the bank account of the National Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress for the purchase of another set of Congress forms for Benue state.
“After the payment was made by Senator George Akume, the national chairman fraudulently released another set of Congress forms to his agent, Hon. Dickson Tarkigir who displayed the Congress materials on the social media last night.
“Our question is that what right does Senator George Akume have to purchase Congress forms for Benue APC after the recognized leader of the party in the state, Governor Hyacinth Alia has paid and collected the original Congress forms and other materials as agreed during the meeting between President Bola Tinubu, the national chairman and all the Progressive Governors.
“Why is it that it’s only in Benue state that the national Secretariat of the APC released its bank account to another person instead of Governor Hyacinth Alia to purchase another set of Congress forms. Why is it that Senator Godswil Akpabio being the Senate President didn’t pay money into the same account to get another set of forms after his governor and leader of APC in Akwa Ibom state, Governor Eno has paid and gotten the original forms and election materials.
” In Lagos where President Bola Tinubu came from, why didn’t the president as the leader of the party in Nigeria pay for another set of Congress forms for Lagos APC after his governor and leader of the party in Lagos State, Mr. Sanwoolu has paid and collected the original Congress forms for his state. Why did Vice President Kassim Shetima not pay into the same account too after his governor has paid and collected Congress forms”
“It’s clear that Senator Akume is working with some people to make both Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Tinubu lose their elections in Benue state with his plan to hold parallel congresses in the state. Why did he use Byuan to threaten Yilwadta that they have a recorded video of how he was given a bribe to sell another set of Congress forms to his camp, and also that they were going to release the video to the media if he failed to sell the forms to them”
Furthermore, the group called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately call for a probe into the sales of another set of Congress forms to Senator George Akume, stressing that Professor Nentawe Yilwadta should immediately be removed from office as the party national chairman if found guilty of this allegation.
The group also raised an alarm about plans by some political thugs loyal to Senator George Akume to cause unrest in Benue state during the planned congresses in the state. “We have been reliably informed that they want to use Soldiers and the police to cause troubles during the congresses” the group added
The group stated that Professor Nentawe Yilwadta would not secretly collect money and sold another set of Congress forms to Senator George Akume if truly he has the interest of President Bola Tinubu in his heart.
“Is George Akume the one contesting elections in 2027 and why does he want to fraudulently hijack the congresses in Benue state when he is aware that doing so will give power to the opposition to defeat the president in the state. It’s dangerous as it stands now because the people of Benue State have said that they don’t want to see Akume in Benue state during the Congress and if he succeeds in hijacking the structure, the people will make sure that the president loses his election in the state” the group said.