Benue APC crisis: Support groups seek Tinubu’s intervention, say opposition working with suspended CJ

The Forum of APC Support Groups Leaders has asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing crisis in the party’s Benue chapter.

CRISIS IN BENUE APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue has been factionalised for over a year due to a leadership tussle between Hyacinth Alia, the governor of the state and George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

There is the Benjamin Omakolo-led faction loyal to Alia and another group led by Augustine Agada, which belongs to Akume.

The rift between Akume and Alia is responsible for the power tussle between both factions in the state.

The crisis escalated in 2024 when the national working committee (NWC) dissolved the Agada-led faction and replaced it with a caretaker committee despite a court order stopping it from doing so.

The NWC also inaugurated a seven-man caretaker committee to take over the party affairs at the state level for six months.

But the Agada-led executives refused to recognise the caretaker committee and urged the party leadership to comply with the court order.

Meanwhile, Agada took the APC to court, challenging its constitution’s requirement to exhaust internal dispute resolution mechanisms before litigation.

‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Ak Peters, the director-general (DG) of the group, asked Tinubu and Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC national chairman, to urgently intervene in the “pending danger and threat to democracy in Benue”.

Peters alleged that the opposition is manipulating Maurice Ikpambese, the suspended Benue chief judge, not only to hinder the state government’s performance but also to indirectly “attack” Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He also alleged that Ikpambese might have aligned with the dissolved executive to weaken the leadership of Tinubu and Ganduje, thereby undermining the party’s unity and stability.

“As the forum of support groups leaders, we are disappointed that the former chairman went to court to challenge the party against the party’s constitution, which states that members must exhaust all internal mechanisms to resolve an issue before going to the court, yet the national leadership is just watching,” he said.

“There is no section of the constitution or laws of Benue state that empowers the chief judge to grant a waiver to the petitioners or move a local government tribunal from the state of jurisdiction to Abuja.

“We understand that the ongoing crisis in Benue is as a result of the decision of the NWC acting on the powers of the NEC, which changed the leadership of the party in Benue state and the party must wade in to defend its decision by maintaining party supremacy as enshrined in our constitution.

“We strongly observe that the Benue state chief judge is being used by the opposition not only to frustrate our performing government in Benue state but also as a direct attack on our amiable President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Therefore, our party leadership and the presidency must take a stand now before some anti-democratic forces and enemies of our party hijack the ongoing evil plot.

“We stand by the decision of the party and the confidence reposed on Mr. President and our National Chairman at the just-concluded NEC of our party.

“We insist that Mr. President must save democracy, as the decision of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee must be respected by all party faithful.”

On February 18, the Benue house of assembly recommended the suspension of Ikpambese as the chief judge over alleged abuse of office and gross misconduct.

The resolution was made after a letter from Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, was read during the plenary.

Twenty-three of 31 lawmakers “voted” to remove the Benue CJ, but 13 opposed it and were suspended.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) insisted he remains in office, while the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the removal, and the senate launched an investigation—a move that the state assembly had rejected.