Benue APC Faces Tension Over Tinubu Campaign Efforts

The fight in the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has grown. Supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, are blaming each other over different campaign setups for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

The latest clash came after Richard Asema, who is the Director-General of the Tinubu-Alia 2027 Campaign Council, accused Mr Akume, Minister of Water Resources Joseph Utsev, and other top APC leaders of working with opposition politicians. They are reportedly involved with the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu-Shettima 2027.

Mr Asema made this claim on Friday in Makurdi while talking to journalists about the campaign council’s work. He accused the alliance of trying to weaken Governor Alia’s leadership in the state, despite saying they support President Tinubu’s re-election.

The Tinubu-Alia campaign council also pointed out that some people from the alliance had been included in its 900-member team but later left to join the rival group.

But Akange Audu, the Director-General of the Benue Strategic Alliance, denied these claims and called them political blackmail. In a statement dated 14 November, Mr Audu said the alliance is an independent political group formed to unite estranged APC members and politicians from other parties who support Mr Tinubu’s re-election.

He stressed that the group is not a faction of the APC nor is it trying to take over the party’s structure. “We need to separate supporting President Tinubu from supporting Governor Alia. These are two different political choices, and one should not depend on the other,” he said.

Mr Audu added that the alliance has set up a joint campaign council with over 1,000 members from various political groups. He claimed their supporters include the three senators from Benue State, 10 members of the House of Representatives, and several members of the state House of Assembly.

The alliance mentioned that its members include loyal APC supporters who still stand with Mr Akume, even though they feel sidelined from the party’s main structure under Governor Alia. They urged the governor’s campaign council to focus on its own efforts instead of attacking other groups that support the president.

“President Tinubu needs every real support he can get in Benue State. Having different campaign groups should be seen as a chance to grow his electoral chances, not as a reason for division,” Mr Audu said.

This disagreement shows a larger fight for leadership within the Benue APC. On 4 March, groups linked to both Governor Alia and Mr Akume held separate state congresses in Makurdi, leading to rival executive committees.

Governor Alia’s group elected Benjamin Omale as state chairman at a congress held at IBB Square, while the Akume group confirmed the Austin Agada-led committee for another four years. Both groups said their congresses were peaceful and followed party rules, but neither the APC national leadership nor the Independent National Electoral Commission had given a clear stance on the rival executives at the time of this report.

In another statement dated 3 November, the Benue Strategic Alliance rejected a publication that listed its conveners, Senator Jack Tilley-Gyado and Elder Simon Shango, as part of a campaign structure for Governor Alia. The alliance said the publication did not represent its real leadership and members.

They also questioned why Governor Alia was named chairman of the supposed campaign structure, while Mr Akume was only listed as a member. The alliance confirmed that it remains dedicated to mobilising support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the National Assembly and state House of Assembly.

This latest disagreement raises doubts about the Benue APC's ability to handle its internal conflicts as political campaigns for the 2027 general elections pick up speed.