By Obinna Uballa
When in December 2025 President Bola Tinubu inaugurated a high-powered reconciliation committee to end the festering crisis in the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), many party faithful believed relief was finally in sight.
The crisis, which pits Governor Hyacinth Alia against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, had lingered for months, polarising the party’s structure from Makurdi to Abuja. Tinubu’s intervention, seen as a demonstration of his commitment to party unity and internal democracy, was welcomed across political divides.
The reconciliation panel, chaired by Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives, included heavyweights such as Mai Mala Buni, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, and former Speaker Yakubu Dogara. Stakeholders described it as a “dream team of reconciliators,” expressing confidence that its stature and influence would calm frayed nerves.
Two months later, however, the situation has deteriorated rather than improved. Instead of reconciliation, the party in Benue has descended into parallel structures, mutual recriminations, and a looming threat of implosion ahead of 2027.
The New Diplomat reports that the breaking point came with the conduct of parallel ward congresses across the state’s 23 local government areas. Factions loyal to Alia and Akume organised separate exercises, each producing its own set of ward executives.
The Akume-aligned camp, led by Comrade Austin Agada, announced a reaffirmation of existing ward executives for another four-year term, describing the process as peaceful and consistent with directives from the APC national secretariat.
Conversely, the Alia-backed faction, under Benjamin Omale, conducted what it termed fresh, consensus-based elections. The governor’s allies argued that the tenure of ward executives expired in July 2025, local government executives in September 2025, and state executives in February 2026 – making automatic reaffirmation unconstitutional.
The crisis escalated further when both camps conducted parallel local government congresses, again producing rival executives. Each faction insists it enjoys the backing of the National Working Committee (NWC), leaving the state chapter effectively split down the middle.
Political analysts warn that dual ward and LG structures could create chaos in delegate selection, candidate nomination, and grassroots mobilisation, a recipe for electoral disaster in 2027.
Competing Claims of Legitimacy
The Alia camp maintains that it operates under constitutional authority from the NWC, dismissing reports of factionalism as exaggerated. Supporters argue that governors traditionally lead party structures in their states and that national directives supersede local disputes.
The Akume camp, however, insists its congresses were orderly, transparent, and properly supervised. It has publicly reaffirmed loyalty to the SGF as the party leader in Benue and the North Central zone.
Caught in the middle is the APC national leadership. A national congress committee sent to Benue has insisted there were no parallel congresses, stating it was the only authentic body authorised to conduct the exercise. Yet on the ground, two entrenched structures now operate simultaneously.
The matter, insiders say, has effectively returned to Tinubu and the party’s national chairman for a final decision, one that carries enormous political risk.
The New Diplomat recalls that the crisis dates back to early disagreements over appointments in Alia’s administration. Reports indicate that Akume recommended Engr. Nick Wende for Secretary to the State Government, but Alia appointed Professor Joseph Alkali instead. Tensions reportedly deepened over House of Assembly leadership and the suspension of lawmakers perceived to be aligned with the SGF.
The removal of Austin Agada from the party secretariat and restrictions on certain political activities reportedly widened the gulf. Court rulings favourable to the Akume faction did little to restore cohesion.
The recent defection of former Governor Gabriel Suswam to the APC has further altered the political equation.
Weighing in on the crisis, former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole offered a sobering assessment, declaring that “only divine intervention or decisive leadership from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can restore lasting unity within the party.”
Oshiomhole reminded stakeholders that Akume fought legal battles to secure Alia’s candidacy on the APC platform, a history he believes should command respect.
“Leadership demands humility,” he said. “One does not treat someone who contributed significantly to one’s political elevation with disregard.”
He warned that unity cannot be achieved by sidelining long-standing party members or building what he described as a “parallel structure” based solely on loyalty to one camp.
“If Gov. Hyacinth Alia is given the soul of APC in Benue, none of the current leaders will be given a ticket in 2027. You don’t do that,” Oshiomhole cautioned, stressing that a divided house cannot win elections.
For Tinubu, the crisis presents a delicate balancing act. Both Alia and Akume are considered loyal allies. Observers say that any decision perceived as favouring one over the other risks alienating a significant bloc within the North Central political calculus.
