George Okoh in Makurdi
A forum of concerned former members of the Benue State House of Assembly from the All Progressives Congress (APC)has warned the state Governor, Hyacinth Alia, to desist from further polarisation of the party, instead rebuild its relationship with the representatives at the centre and take proactive steps to stem the tide of herders/farmers crisis as against the lip service and politicisation of the phenomenon.
The group also passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the APC under the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and the state Chairman of the party, Austin Agada.
Speaking at a press conference in Makurdi, the state capital, yesterday, the Chairman of the forum and former Speaker of the sixth and seventh state Assembly, Dave Iorhemba, said the former members have observed with concern the frosty relationship between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the SGF, and the avalanche of derogatory remarks, the use of uncomplimentary language and innuendoes flung at the person of the SGF by the governor and his team when the two sides should be working together for a greater Benue State.
Iorhemba said the APC as a party is built around the person of Akume, who nurtured and sustained the party in the state since its registration.
According to him. “Senator Akume is equally the person who in consultation with critical stakeholders conceived and birthed the direct primary election at the gubernatorial primary election with the sole purpose of according victory at the primaries to the governor who is the latest beneficiary of the SGF’s political sagacity.
“We declare our unflinching support to our leader, Senator George Akume, and state in clear terms that the leadership of the APC in Benue State is not an issue but rests unreservedly on the SGF in whom it’s epitomised the perfect politician who readily lends a hand to the least in the society.
“As politicians and members of the APC, we note and restate for the benefit of those who do not know that it is the party that wins votes at the elections and not the candidate.
“It is thus most unwarranted and an open display of political naivety for the governor and his team to openly declare that APC won the past election because of his candidature. We refrain ourselves from appraising the pedigree of the governor preceding his candidature but state categorically that votes were canvassed for the party and not the candidates.”
He condemned the crisis rocking the APC in the state, including the court cases arising from the challenge of the purported removal of Austin Agada, stressing that despite the court orders issued to maintain the status quo of the Agada-led executive and the evacuation of the interim orders restraining Agada from carrying on as the state chairman, the governor has chosen to recognise a purported acting state chairman of the party and set up a parallel state secretariat.
They, therefore, called on Governor Alia to restore peace in the state and form a synergy with National Assembly members from the state and other appointees of President Bola Tinubu at the federal level to attract more democratic dividends to the state.
