Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The crisis rocking the Benue state chapter of All Progressive Congress turned messier as loyalists of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume who have formed the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027 have demanded the removal of their names from Alia/Tinubu campaign council list.
The notable name mentioned is Senator Sir Jack Tilley-Gyado, who is the Chairman of the Alliance. According to Dan Ihomun, the group’s Secretary, his name should not have been included in the campaign council as well as Elder Simon Shango, MFR, alongside its candidates for the National Assembly and Benue State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, Senator Sir Jack Tilley-Gyado hails from the same local government area, Vandeikya, and the same village as Governor Alia. However, he is reportedly working behind the scenes against the Governor ahead of the coming election.
The inauguration is scheduled to hold on Thursday, and attention is now shifting to whether the members whose names appeared on the campaign council list will attend the event marking the commencement of the campaign activities.
The Alliance further disclosed that it had already released its own organisational and campaign structure for the 2027 general elections, comprising its Board of Patrons and Conveners, Advisory Council, Directorate and other members. It therefore maintained that its previously published structure remains the only recognised reference for identifying its leadership and membership.
Meanwhile, the group expressed strong reservations over the reported arrangement that placed Governor Hyacinth Alia as Chairman of the campaign council while listing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, CON, who is widely regarded as the political leader of the APC in Benue State, as merely a member.
According to the Alliance, such an arrangement raises concerns about the recognition of established party leadership and the political contributions of stakeholders who have played significant roles in building the APC in the state.
The group also alleged that since the APC secured victory in the 2023 general elections, established party leaders and structures have increasingly been sidelined by the Alia administration, a development it believes has contributed to the persistent disagreements and divisions within the party.
However, the group stated that its commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition remains unchanged. It also reaffirmed its intention to support APC candidates for the National Assembly and Benue State House of Assembly who emerge through the political leadership direction recognised by Senator George Akume.
Consequently, the Alliance called on APC state, local government and ward executives, party stakeholders and members of the general public to disregard the disputed campaign council publication, insisting that its leadership, identity and membership cannot be appropriated or misrepresented through announcements made without its authorisation.
The development represents another major political disagreement within the Benue APC as competing interests, political loyalties and questions of party leadership continue to shape the party’s preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.