Benue deputy gov disowns leaked APC communiqué after peace meeting

A political storm is brewing in Benue State as Deputy Governor Sam Ode publicly disassociated himself from a communiqué allegedly issued after a reconciliation meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The document, which has circulated in the media, reportedly suggested an automatic ticket arrangement for party members in the upcoming 2027 elections, a claim Ode vehemently denies.

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At the end of the conclusion of our meeting, a draft of what we did was sent to the Governor of Benue State for him to vet, make his inputs and send approval to us to do a clean copy.

Ode, who chaired the communiqué drafting committee, asserted that the version making the rounds was altered after the draft was sent for review to Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume. He stressed that no member of the drafting committee signed the circulated document, and that only attendance records were taken. The signatures of the Governor and the SGF, he explained, were meant to appear only on the final, approved version as authorising officers.

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Nobody can show you a document where we said we attached our signatures as a signature to that draft committee.

This clarification comes amidst reports of political tension within the state's APC structure, allegedly stemming from a disagreement between the SGF and the governor over the purported automatic ticket arrangement. Ode's denial aims to quell speculation and set the record straight, emphasizing that the committee never discussed or endorsed automatic tickets for any elective positions. The Deputy Governor's stance highlights the internal dynamics and potential fault lines within the Benue APC as the party looks towards the 2027 electoral cycle.

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It is the signature of the Governor of Benue State and that of the SGF, who is a co-convener, that will be on the final copy of the communique as authorising officers.