…as battle for structure, control turns messier
MAKURDI — Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State is said to have retained the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship ticket for the 2027 election after reported moves to replace him with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr. Pius Akutah, sparked a fresh crisis within the party’s National Working Committee.
The development, according to multiple reports within the party, has further widened the long-running political disagreement between Governor Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
Sources familiar with the matter said the controversy began when the APC National Working Committee, NWC, was preparing to upload the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. It was at that point that Senator Akume allegedly pushed for Akutah to be presented as the party’s governorship candidate in Benue in place of Alia.
Akutah, a federal appointee and technocrat, is reported to have obtained the APC nomination form. However, members of the NWC immediately raised concerns over the legality and political implications of substituting a sitting governor who had gone through the party’s process.
According to those present, two major issues were cited. First, Akutah did not participate in the APC governorship screening or the primary election reportedly conducted in May 2026. Party officials argued that bypassing that process would violate the APC constitution and electoral guidelines.
Second, it was pointed out that Akutah had not resigned from his position as Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. Under extant rules, federal appointees seeking elective office are required to resign ahead of party primaries. NWC members said presenting his name without meeting that requirement would expose the party to legal challenges.
The disagreement reportedly became heated during an NWC session. Reports indicated that APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, was approached over the possibility of presenting Akutah as the candidate. That proposal did not sit well with a section of the committee.
Tensions escalated to the point where the party’s Deputy National Chairman, North, Dr. Ali Bukar Dalori, was said to have walked out of the meeting and headed straight to the Presidential Villa. At the Villa, concerns were allegedly raised over the danger of replacing a candidate who had duly participated in the party’s primary with someone who had not.
Following what sources described as the intervention of the Presidency, an emergency meeting of the APC National Working Committee was convened. The meeting focused on upholding due process and protecting the integrity of the party’s internal democracy.
According to reports from the emergency session, emphasis was placed on allowing sitting governors who legitimately won their party’s primaries to retain their tickets. NWC members argued that altering the outcome at this stage would not only create a precedent that could destabilize other states but would also send the wrong signal to party members ahead of 2027.
With that decision, Governor Alia is reported to remain the APC flagbearer for Benue State. The governor, a Catholic priest who won the 2023 election on the APC platform, has had a frosty relationship with Senator Akume, who is regarded as the top political leader of the party in Benue. The rift has played out publicly over issues ranging from party structure to appointments and control of the state’s political machinery.
Political observers in Makurdi say the latest episode reflects how high the stakes have become in Benue politics few months to the next governorship election. They note that Akume’s influence as SGF gives him significant leverage within the federal and party hierarchy, while Alia, as the incumbent, enjoys the advantage of incumbency and direct access to state structures.
Neither Senator Akume nor Mr. Akutah has issued a public statement on the reported substitution plot. The APC National Secretariat also declined to comment officially, saying internal party matters are handled within appropriate organs.
In the meantime, the party appears to have settled on maintaining the status quo in Benue, but the reported confrontation within the NWC shows that the battle for the soul of the APC in the state is far from over.
With full political campaigns billed to commence soon, all eyes will be on how the Alia and Akume camps manage their differences without fracturing the party ahead of a critical election.
