Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The All Progressive Congress National Youth Council has called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume to desist from acts that can turn Benue State to a battle ground as a result of his constant inflammatory statements on the leadership of the state chapter of the ruling party.
The APC National Youth Council made this call in a press statement signed by its National president, Comrade Abba Yusuf Ali, stressing it’s time for the SGF to recognize Chief Benjamin Omale-led Unity Caretaker Committee as the authentic state executive officers of the party in Benue state.
The group was reacting to a video where Senator George Akume yesterday again described one of his political puppets, Mr. Austin Agada as the chairman of the APC in Benue state.
Recall that the National Working Committee of the APC had last year dissolved the state executive committee led by Austin Agada and inaugurated a seven-man Unity Caretaker Committee led by Chief Benjamin Omale. The NWC also dissolved a factional state executive committee led by one Mr. Benjamin Omakolo that same last year.
In the statement, the group stated that Chief Omale had been officially invited to attend two National Executive Council meeting of the APC where President Bola Tinubu himself presided.
“So for Akume to be calling another man the state chairman of the party in Benue state is totally unacceptable. The SGF is undermining the power of Mr. President and the NEC of the All Progressive Congress by doing so. Omale had attended two NEC meetings in his capacity as the authentic state chairman of the APC in Benue.
“It’s also on record that Chief Omale was formally inducted into the association of APC State Chairmen across the country. He was personally handed over to the association of APC State Chairmen by the immediate past national chairman of APC, Alhaji Umar Ganduje so in what capacity is Akume calling Agada the state chairman of the party in Benue state.
“In case the SGF doesn’t know, political parties Constitution is above any court ruling in the country when it comes to internal issues like this so he (Akume) should not rely on any court judgement as a yardstick to be calling Agada the party chairman.
“Is the SGF aware that the Unity Caretaker Committee led by Benjamin Omale had conducted a free and fair local government election which has also been affirmed by both the Tribunal and the Appeal Court. Both courts recognized Chief Omale as the rightful person to nominate candidates for the elections so what else does Senator George Akume want?
“Does Akume think he can come and create a parallel executive of the party after the Appeal Court had approved the structure of Benjamin Omale during its ruling on the local government elections petitions. He should just come and align with the structure and forget about any court judgement which is far below party constitution.
“We are saying it boldly that Akume’s actions are enough to cost President Bola Tinubu his victory in Benue state because the people of the State strongly believe in the governor as the leader of the APC in Benue state. If there is crisis in APC, the members will begin to move to other political parties and that will be dangerous for President Tinubu’s chance of winning Benue state”
The group urged the SGF to respect a presidential directive which stated that he should make peace with Governor Hyacinth Alia instead of making speeches that can bring crisis in the state.
“The governor had respected the presidential directive by visiting Senator George Akume in order to make peace but the SGF seems not to respect the visit of the governor. And we put it to him that it’s now time for him to recognize Father Hyacinth Alia as the leader of the party in Benue state.
“Father Alia is doing well as governor of the Benue State and we call on our father, the SGF to join hands with him to further develop the state and not that he should be parading thugs and also be making inflammatory statements that tend to throw the entire state into chaos. If Senator Akume thinks that he doesn’t have any work to do in his office as the SGF in Abuja, let him resign and come and join the government of Father Alia whom the people of Benue are well pleased with”
Benue National Youth Council also called on the President, the national chairman and security agencies to quickly call the SGF to order to face his constitutional duties in Abuja and stop using that position to cause crisis in Benue. “The people are ready to vote for President Tinubu because Father Alia has done massively well as governor” the group added.