A fresh crisis seems to be brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, as the fragile reconciliation between Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, appears to be breaking down.
Despite a high-level peace meeting on Sunday, deep divisions remain, particularly on the divisive issue of automatic tickets for elected officials ahead of the next election cycle.
The crisis between Alia and Akume has its root in the fallout of the 2023 general elections when both leaders disagreed over control of the party structure and political appointments in the state.
What started as a quiet disagreement soon exploded into a full-scale intra-party conflict, splitting the APC in Benue into two rival factions.
One faction, led by Austin Agada, remained loyal to Akume while another, under the leadership of then-state chairman Ben Omakolo, sided with Governor Alia.
The tension culminated in March 2026 when both factions convened parallel congresses, with both factions producing rival sets of party executives.
The faction backed by Alia, meanwhile, argued its congress was held in line with due process and represented the wishes of party members. But the Akume faction rejected the exercise and held a parallel congress that exacerbated the leadership crisis.
The national leadership of the APC finally took a definitive action, by acknowledging the congress conducted by the Alia faction, which produced Ben Omale as chairman. The action effectively sidelined Agada and weakened Akume’s hold on the party structure in the state.
President Bola Tinubu, worried about the impact of the lingering crisis on the party’s electoral fortunes, stepped in, calling on both leaders to bury their hatchet and work together ahead of elections.
The meeting on Sunday was seen as a step in that direction. But instead of reinforcing unity, it exposed new fault lines.
The centre of the renewed tension is a proposal made by Akume for the adoption of automatic tickets for Governor Alia and other elected APC officials in the state including members of the National and State Assemblies.
According to sources who attended the meeting, Akume had advocated for automatic tickets to ensure continuity and reward loyalty, but the governor had rejected the proposal outright.
Alia is said to have insisted that all aspirants must go through a transparent primary process and warned that any attempt to impose candidates could spark another internal crisis.
An insider said: “He agreed on other terms but the issue of automatic tickets was outrightly turned down. He is not willing to risk the party’s structure. He also does not want a situation where Akume loyalists in the National Assembly return unchallenged.”
Governor Alia, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, was very clear in his position that there are no automatic tickets.
He stated: “Because the APC has made it very clear, Mr. President has said it severally and the National Chairman of the APC also stressed at the time that there is no automatic ticket.
“I think this is just a request, not a resolution. It is a prayer for the people of the state, calling them to think deeply and consider how they can support those who are currently serving.
“It does not represent an official position of the national party or the federal government. As I understand it, this was a meeting of conciliation. He has a right to make such appeals and to offer prayers. It’s basically a call to the entire citizenry to see if they can bring these people back. “That’s a misguided approach, I think,” he said.
As preparations for the 2027 election cycle begin to build steam, the party could be on the way to another round of internal strife with conflicting interests, old grievances and the struggle for control still simmering beneath the surface.
