Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Plot by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume to remove the National Chairman of All Progressive Congress, Umar Ganduje had been exposed.
According to the Benue Rebirth Movement at a press conference which was addressed in Abuja today, the former Benue state governor has approached Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief Of Staff to President Bola Tinubu to talk to the president to force Ganduje to order that all the pending litigations regarding the Benue state chapter of the party be withdrawn.
Also, it was alleged that Senator Akume is asking Femi Gbajabiamila to ensure that the Caretaker Committee of the party which was inaugurated by Ganduje few months ago be dissolved.
According to Benue Rebirth Movement, the SGF is also rooting for the reinstatement of Austin Agada as the substantive state chairman of the party immediately the Caretaker Committee led by Chief Benjamin Omale is dissolved.
The group said in the press conference that: “Alternatively, the camp of the SGF has concluded plans to secure a court judgement in Abuja to remove Ganduje from office as the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress of he fails to comply.
“Ganduje will be sacked by the court if he refuses to quash all the pending litigations in Benue state, dissolve the State Caretaker Committee and reinstate Austin Agada back to office as the state chairman.
“We found out that Senator Akume wants to take over Benue state structure of the APC at all cost for his personal gains. We also read a report in many national newspapers yesterday that he had at a time asked Governor Hyacinth Alia to be giving him N2billion and his wife, Regina, a sum of N200 million every month so he could use it to finance his 2027 presidential ambition in case the president isn’t seeking for a reelection.
“We also read in the report that the governor rejected the demand with a clear position that he would never finance a project that will go against President Tinubu’s reelection. And as a matter of fact, the SGF started fighting the governor because of this.
“This is time for the president to know that the SGF has been working against his own party and this can lead to a total failure in 2027”
The Benue Rebirth Movement pressed further that dissolving the State Caretaker Committee at this point will ruin the reconciliation moves which the committee has put in place.
“The caretaker committee led by Omale has done well by repositioning the party since inception. They have been able to bring all the aggrieved members and groups together under one single umbrella led by Father Hyacinth Alia. This explains why the party was able to win the last local government elections without any troubles. Why will they want to sack the committee when they are actually working hard to ensure that the party is better positioned before the 2027 general elections so as to give the president and the governor a smooth ride into their second tenure in office” the text of the press conference said.
Furthermore, the group accused Senator George Akume of sponsoring some aspirants in the last local government elections in Benue state to take the Benue state chapter of All Progressive Congress to the EFCC in order to demand a refund of the money they paid for their nomination forms.
“It’s uncalled for. That was the first time aspirants were demanding a refund and that was because the SGF instigated them against their own party. We are happy that some of them have returned back to their party and held a press conference where they pledged their loyalty to the party. They have assured that they won’t join others to take the party to the EFCC as ordered by the SGF ” they said.
The group said that the governor has been able to utilize the allocations gotten front the federal government judiciously on massive infrastructural projects which now make the people of Benue to be very happy with his administration.
The group also lauded the governor for being able to drive foreign investors into Benue state through all his foreign trips to showcase the state’s investment opportunities.
Benue Rebirth Movement alleged that all the litigations about the leadership tussle in the Benue state chapter of All Progressive Congress were sponsored by enemies of the president.
Recall that it was reported in the media yesterday that Senator Akume has engaged the service of the EFCC to clamp down some loyalists of Governor Alia who have been working to rebuild the state and ensure that President Bola Tinubu secures his reelection in 2027.
It was also reported that a certain ally of the governor, Chief Livinus Tsar is topping the list of those to be clamped down as a result of the leadership tussle between Akume and Alia.