APC Primaries Ignite Outrage in Benue Amidst Allegations of Rigging and Imposition

The Punch reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State is grappling with deep-seated divisions following its National Assembly primary elections. Allegations of electoral manipulation, candidate imposition, and internal betrayal are casting a shadow over the party's prospects in the upcoming general elections. Despite a recent reconciliation meeting in Makurdi, feuding factions hold divergent views on the resolutions. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, insists that President Bola Tinubu directed automatic tickets for all serving members, including the governor, via consensus. However, Governor Hyacinth Alia contradicts this, stating that both the APC National Chairman and the president had explicitly ruled out automatic tickets. This disagreement has stalled the formation of an ad hoc committee meant to further reconcile aggrieved parties. The situation was exacerbated by a leaked communiqué that allegedly included the issue of automatic tickets, a move the Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, described as a mischievous act by those seeking to undermine the peace efforts. Governor Alia's camp reportedly views the leaked document as a deliberate attempt by a senator loyal to the SGF to shape public opinion. The internal strife within the Benue APC underscores the challenges of party cohesion and the potential impact of these disputes on electoral success.

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The issue of automatic tickets is beyond me and the SGF because the national chairman of the party and the president had declared that there would be no automatic ticket. The submission of the SGF was only a prayer.