The National Assembly primary election conducted by the ruling APC in Benue State has left the party more divided, with allegations of electoral manipulation, candidate imposition and internal betrayal threatening ongoing reconciliation efforts ahead of the general elections. JOHN CHARLES examines the controversy surrounding the exercise and its implications for the party’s future in the state
The National Assembly primary election conducted by the ruling All Progressives Congress in Benue State may have come and gone, but its outcome has further deepened divisions within the party.
There had been indications that peace was still elusive in the party despite the well-attended reconciliation meeting held in Makurdi a few weeks ago.
At the end of the meeting, the feuding camps emerged with differing interpretations of the resolutions reached. While the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the Benue APC crisis was to grant automatic tickets to all serving members of the state and National Assembly, including the governor, through consensus, Governor Hyacinth Alia disagreed.
According to the governor, both the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, and the president had made it clear that there would be no automatic tickets for any serving elected official during the primaries.
