From Scholastica Hir Makurdi
Elders and zonal chairmen of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Benue State, has disclosed that the fracas in the party is between the Governor and the party leadership and not between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Senator George Akume and Governor Alia.
The elders led by the party state Vice Chairman zone C, Bishop Pinot Ogbaji, stated this during press conference held at the party Secretariat in Makurdi on Thursday, described the crisis and treatment meted to party members especially the leadership, by the state Governor as humiliating.
Recall that there has been a shaky relationship between the state Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and the leadership of his party, the APC.
Ogbaji explained that the relationship went sour in June this year, during the inauguration of the State Assembly where they alleged that the governor had preference for a candidate for the position of Speaker but could not confer with the leadership of the party.
They expressed displeasure that the Governor allowed the party to painstakingly sit, zone the position and anoint a candidate that was not his choice. “The end result was an embarrassing situation where stalwarts of the party were enmeshed in a shameful altercation that clearly lowered them and the party in the chamber of the Benue State House of Assembly.
According to them, since then, the Governor abandoned the party and has been romancing with the opposition parties.
“Away from the speakership tussle, the party again nominated and spread other principal officers of the Assembly, namely; Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief.
“But shockingly, the Speaker happily accepted all nominations from the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) as duly endorsed by the PDP State Chairman and Secretary.
“He jettisoned the list submitted by APC and rather announced the list that was allegedly submitted by the governor through his Chief of Staff.
The elders said, “It was a humiliating experience for the party, having to face that level of neglect in the hands of an administration we all laboured hard to plant.
“Even when we felt so bitter and visited the Leader of the party, Sen. Dr George Akume, he simply counselled us to pray for Governor Alia and give him every support he needs to succeed as governor.”
Ogbaji noted that efforts by the state party leadership to mend fences with the governor did not yield result, saying during the first stakeholders meeting, the State Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada went on his knees, took all the blames apologizing to the governor and all party faithful, asking them to put behind them, the State Assembly disagreement and come together to protect the soul of the party.
“The governor also pledged that he would from that point, involve the party deeply in taking sensitive decisions.”
They however expressed shock that while picking his commissioners, Alia exercised his sole discretion without the usual tradition of directing local governments to make nominations taking cognizance of zonings and necessary political permutations.
“He rather made his independent choices as he found soothing but the party did not oppose him; we rather gave our full support to his action since that was his own State Executive and Security Council and he needed people he could trust.”
Ogbaje said that the governor toed the same path in the appointment of local government caretaker committees.
He said, “Governor Alia seems to have more confidence in patronizing people outside APC, majority of who had opposed him tenaciously during the electioneering periods and voting days than his party men and women who ideally should have a cordial working relationship with him.
Benue APC had made a decisive choice to support the governor right from the primary election, through the campaigns, during elections and after elections and the party cannot turn against him overnight.
The governor simply needs to retrospectively check why this singular complaint of negligence of the party keeps resonating in all our dealings with him.
“In the final analysis, we wish to state that the crisis rocking our party is not an Alia versus Akume fight, neither is it an Alia versus Agada fight. This is purely a fight for the survival and recognition of the party that has provided a convenient platform for his emergence as the Governor of Benue State.
“As far as we know, the Leader is not mounting any pressure on the governor in any way, except Gov. Alia is hiding that from us; the party too has not asked His Excellency for money yet except his monthly dues to the party which he has not obliged to since he became Governor; what is needed now is strategic partnership between the governor and the SGF for the good of the state,” they said.
Efforts to get the reaction of the State Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Matthew Aboh was not successful as his line did not connect.