….Says it’s meant to sabotage Alia’s reelection
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council for Tinubu /Alia Benue State, on Friday rejected the formation of a “Strategic Alliance For Tinubu/Shettima” in the State.
The campaign council described the alliance as a ‘movement of negativity’ formulated to frustrate and sabotage the re-election of Governor Hyacinth Alia in 2027 general elections.
Director General of the campaign Council, Richard Asema stated the council’s position while briefing newsmen at the campaign office in Makurdi, Makurdi.
He noted that the ‘Strategic Alliance” is populated by some members of the APC, some of whom are holding senior positions in the Federal Government of Nigeria, including Senator George Akume, the Secretary to Government of the Federation, and Prof Joseph Utsev, Hon. Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation.
He further explained that a critical look at the membership of the alliance revealed that governorship candidates of other political parties especially the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party, LP as well as officers of some other minority parties are members of the Group and its Campaign Council.
“The All Progressives Congress(APC) under the leadership of Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Chairmanship of Benjamin Omale strongly reject the purported Strategic Alliance and its Campaign Council.
“The Council is contemptuous and injurious to the fortunes of APC. The electioneering machinery in the state is being coordinated by the Governor.
“All credible intelligence available to the party, indicates that the Strategic Alliance has a hidden agenda, which is to sabotage the election of Governor Alia in the 2027 elections, while masquerading as supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, Asema stated.
He maintained that the party recently constituted a comprehensive Campaign Council with over 900 loyal and credible party leaders as members including most members of the so called Strategic Alliance who were also, appointed into the Council.
The DG stated that the affected personalities were publicly inaugurated on Thursday, 5th November at the IBB Square, Makurdi, regretting that soon after the Council membership was announced, these same persons hastily declined participation in the campaign Council.
“It is regrettable that some APC members have fallen prey to this political gimmick by allowing themselves to be used for this act of political mischief. It is purely a confrontational alliance. We had included these persons in our campaign Councill as a way of extending the olive btanch for peace but unfortunately, it has exacerbated the situation.
“These persons have shown to be pathological haters and anti-development agents. 2027 would not be determined by these persons.
“We wish to state unequivocally that Benue state is fundamentally and evidentially a strong base of the APC. The party is well grounded, popular and loved by the people of Benue state. By God’s grace, APC will win the 2027 elections decisively with a higher margin of votes than it did in 2023.
“We can recall that in 2023 elections, the party did not only win the Governorship seat, it delivered President Bola Tinubu and won two of three Senatorial Seats. At the moment, the Party controls 27 out of 32 State House of Assembly seats and 10 of 11 House of Representatives Seats, 23 Local Government Chairmen and all 276 elected Councilors across the Council wards of the state.”
Asema stated that APC doesn’t need any alliance to win the 2027 elections and warned against any attempt to confuse the teeming members of the party and the good people of Benue state, who are already poised to vote for the party at the forthcoming elections.
He urged APC members in the Strategic Alliance to disengage forthwith, retrace their steps and regroup with the mainstream leadership of the Party under Governor Hyacinth Alia.
He assured that the council will mobilize massive support for the re-election of Presidential Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia at the forthcoming polls.
