From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The internal squabbles in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has continued to degenerate as the party claimed it had uncovered a plot by some officials of the state government to sponsor a large scale protest against President Bola Tinubu.
Daily Sun gathered that APC in Benue State has long been divided along supporters of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who is the APC leader in Benue and those loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, alleged the protest is an effort to discourage the president from giving effect to the Senate’s resolution stopping release of funds to local government caretaker committees in Nigeria.
After the state government announced the constitution of caretakers at the councils in the state, senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro, presented a motion at the Assembly condemning the act, a situation which made the senators to recommend that the Federal Government should stop allocation to local governments superintended by caretaker chairmen.
The party further alleged that the protest is targeting the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the Senate plenary that passed the resolution and Akume, who has become a victim of malicious accusations in the state by mischief makers.
“This plot has been deeply hatched and their first experimental step was the call on the party Chairman, Austin Agada, to resign without advancing any genuine reason.
“The party views this act of sabotage as portending grave danger to the unity of the state and the party, if people who claim APC membership and are working under an APC state government would undermine their president, the Senate president and the SGF in an open protest in their quest to stifle the hands of government on a matter of law.
“Much as the organisers are free to express themselves, taking steps that would embarrass Mr. President and his administration is unacceptable and must be halted,” the party said in the statement.
The party called on the inspector general of police and the Benue State commissioner of police to monitor closely the planned protest which may wear a semblance of solidarity march but with a sinister end motive.
It also called on the Governor Alia to monitor the activities of unscrupulous elements around his government who are using his name to perpetrate acts that are capable of plunging the state into anarchy that would necessitate the declaration of a state of emergency.
The APC also urged all security agencies in the state to be on alert to check the activities of any group that seems to undermine the peace of the state and is hellbent on planting divisive tendencies.