By Rachael Achado, reporting from Makurdi
The Benue state police command has invited the state youth leader of the All Progressive Congress, Tertindi Sado Adom, over allegation that he has arranged some youths to burn down houses and properties of aggrieved governorship aspirants of the party who has taken the embattled governorship candidate of the party, Father Hyacinth Alia, to court.
The aggrieved aspirants, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, Terhemba Shija and Barnabas Gemade had written a petition to the police to investigate the allegation of threat to their lives and their properties.
In a letter of invitation by the police signed by DCP Irabor on September 20, 2022 and sent to the state chairman of the party, Austin Agada, the accused person was asked to be produced for a criminal investigation at the police headquarters in Makurdi.
Nigerian Concord Newspaper had recently reported how the minister for special duties and intergovernmental affairs, Senator George Akume, ordered the youth leader of APC in Benue state, Mr Tertindi Sado Adom, to arrange for the burning down of residences of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa SAN, Chief Barnabas Gemade and Professor Terhemba Shija if they fail to withdraw their cases against the disputed governorship candidate of the party, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, from court within seven days.
The Benue APC youth leader who assembled twenty three other youth leaders across the state at a meeting of APC North Central zonal officials led by zonal vice Chairman, Hon. Miazu Bawa Rijau with Benue APC stakeholders at Precious Events Center in Makurdi last week was also ordered to burn down private companies belonging to Aondoakaa, Gemade and Shija.
Adom claimed at the meeting that he was speaking for Senator George Akume who isn’t comfortable with the ongoing court cases against Alia.
He further said that Akume who he claimed has the party in his pocket has arranged a standby squad to deal with whoever that further goes against his wish on Alia’s candidacy.
According to a reliable source at the meeting where Father Hyacinth Alia, Simon Sango and the factional state chairman of the party, Austin Agada, hugged and cheered Adom, it was said that moves had begun to force Gemade and others to withdraw their cases against the embattled governorship candidate within the next seven days.
The source said that it was reported at the meeting that Akume who wants APC to win the next governorship election in Benue state at all cost will not allow the cases instituted by the aggrieved APC aspirants to ruin the party’s chance.
Recall that Aondoakaa, Gemade, Shija, Herman Hembe went to court to seek for Justice immediately Father Alia was imposed on the party as the governorship candidate through an unpopular and illegal direct primary that wasn’t approved by the national headquarters of the party.
Also recall that the aggrieved aspirants had raised their points before the Appeal panel set up by the party, and the panel recommended that the “yahoo yahoo” primary be nullified and fresh ones conducted.
Also recall that INEC also issued a report that primaries didn’t take place in seventeen local government areas while there were no voters registers in six local government areas.
However, it was reportedly discussed at the meeting that Young Alhaji’s house was razed down for going against what the party in Benue state wants, and more will happen if Gemade and the remaining aggrieved aspirants fail to take their cases away from the court.
It will be recalled that some weeks ago, unknown arsonists were reported to have burnt down the palatial residence an APC chieftain in Otukpo, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, aka Young Alhaji, a known critic of Senator George Akume.