The APC crisis in Benue gets worse as Governor Alia supposedly turns down Tinubu’s peace efforts.
Reports say that Governor Hycient Alia has refused to help with peace efforts started by President Bola Tinubu and other national leaders of the party. This is a new development in the political crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State. The problem, which has been building for months, has now gotten worse, causing disagreements within the party and making supporters unsure which side to support.
Two important politicians in Benue, Governor Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, are at odds with each other. This is at the heart of the problem. Akume has had a big impact on the politics of Benue. He used to be the governor of the state. But his tense relationship with Alia has caused a split in the party, with different groups being led by different leaders. People think that Governor Alia’s refusal to join the peace talks that President Tinubu started is a big setback for attempts to end the conflict.
The Benue National Assembly caucus has openly said that Alia is trying to stop the reconciliation process on purpose. Party sources say that the governor has refused to meet with important people and has instead kept imposing his will on the state party structure. This has made people in the APC angry at both the state and national levels, because many are afraid that the ongoing problem will make the party less strong before the next election.
In Benue, a lot is at stake for the APC. The state has a history of fierce political competition, so disagreements within the ruling party could give the opposition a chance to take advantage of the chaos. A lot of people in the party are worried that if the problem isn’t fixed, it could cause people to lose support from the people and make party loyalists lose hope. The leaders of the APC had thought that Tinubu’s action would bring the different groups together, but recent events show that the differences are getting worse.
Supporters of Governor Alia say that by keeping control of the political system in Benue, he is doing what is best for the state and the party. They say that his way of leading is needed to make sure that the state is run well and that political opponents are making the conflict with Akume seem worse than it really is. Supporters of Akume, on the other hand, see Alia’s actions as a direct threat to the national leadership and a move that could make the party less united.
Many APC followers in Benue aren’t sure which side to join because the split is getting worse. Some people are still loyal to Governor Alia, but others are getting more and more angry that everyone isn’t working together to solve the problem. Concerns have also been made about the future of the APC in the state. Party members are afraid that long-term fighting within the party could hurt the party’s chances of winning elections.
Governor Alia’s failure to take part in peace talks has also brought attention to the bigger problems the APC is having across the country. As internal problems hit several states, the party’s leaders are under a lot of pressure to keep the party together and settle disagreements before they get worse. Tinubu has worked hard to keep the peace within the party. Now, he may have to find new ways to handle the Benue problem without making important people like Alia even more angry.
For now, it’s not clear what will happen with the APC in Benue. How well the party can solve the problem will have a big impact on its chances of winning future elections as the situation continues. Governor Alia and Akume both have a lot of power in the state, so any answer will probably need to be a compromise between the two. But since Alia is said to be fighting against attempts to bring about national peace, it looks like it will be harder to make peace.
Not only has the APC problem in Benue shown how deeply divided the party is, but it has also shown how hard it is to manage political power at both the state and national levels. As the fight between Governor Alia and Akume gets worse, the party’s future in Benue is at risk, and followers are worried about where the party is going.