The recently concluded National Assembly primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State have intensified internal divisions within the ruling party, with allegations of manipulation, candidate imposition and irregularities dominating political discussions across the state.
The crisis follows disagreements between supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia and loyalists of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, over the conduct of the primaries and the issue of automatic tickets for serving lawmakers.
While Senator Akume maintained that President Bola Tinubu supported automatic tickets for all serving elected officials in the state, Governor Alia rejected the claim, insisting that both the President and APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, had ruled out automatic tickets for any aspirant.
Tensions reportedly worsened after a leaked communiqué from a reconciliation meeting allegedly included references to automatic tickets, a development denied by Deputy Governor Sam Ode, who chaired the communiqué drafting committee. He stated that no such agreement was reached during the meeting.
The outcome of the primaries further fueled controversy after several lawmakers believed to be loyal to Akume lost their bids to secure party tickets. Reports from party stakeholders and observers alleged that election materials were hijacked and results allocated to preferred candidates loyal to the governor’s camp.
Some party members described the process as deeply flawed, claiming that elections did not take place in several wards across the state. Critics argued that the alleged imposition of candidates could weaken the APC ahead of future elections if unresolved.
Political analyst Tony Ogah described the exercise as disappointing, insisting that properly conducted direct primaries remain one of the best democratic ods for selecting candidates. He questioned why open voting was not visibly conducted across many parts of the state during the primaries.
Despite the controversies, APC loyalists aligned with Governor Alia defended the exercise, describing it as peaceful, transparent and credible. State APC spokesman Benedict Yawe commended the governor and the primary election committee for ensuring calm throughout the process.
Meanwhile, aggrieved aspirants from the Akume camp have reportedly submitted petitions to the party’s appeal panel, demanding a review of the primary election results.
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