Benue APC Crisis Deepens as Alia, Akume Share INEC Nomination Forms to Rival Assembly Candidates

The leadership crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has escalated, with Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, separately presenting Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination forms to rival groups of candidates for the Benue State House of Assembly.

Governor Alia presented nomination forms to 24 APC House of Assembly candidates loyal to his camp, while Senator Akume handed forms to 13 candidates aligned with him, further exposing the deepening division within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The development mirrors the earlier controversy over the APC National Assembly tickets in the state, where the National Working Committee (NWC) reportedly favoured Akume’s camp.

Under the revised list, the SGF’s loyalists secured two Senate tickets and nine House of Representatives tickets, while Governor Alia’s camp retained only two House of Representatives slots.

Findings by Peoples Daily from the APC’s official list show that Governor Alia’s loyalists dominated the nominations in Benue South (Zone C) and Benue North East (Zone A), while Akume’s camp secured most of the tickets in Benue North West (Zone B), alongside a few candidates from the other two zones.

Presenting the INEC nomination forms, Governor Alia, represented by the Benue APC Chairman, Benjamin Omale, urged the candidates to uphold the values of the party and remain committed to serving the people.

“Today, I officially present INEC nomination forms to our APC candidates for the Benue State House of Assembly. I congratulate all our candidates and urge them to remain true ambassadors of our great party by engaging our people with humility, integrity, and a clear vision for effective representation in the pursuit of a better Benue,” he said.

In a statement, the Benue APC Publicity Secretary, Benedict Yawe, confirmed that 24 of the 37 House of Assembly candidates received their nomination forms from Governor Alia.

He called on party members to unite ahead of the elections.”This is the time to close ranks, strengthen our bonds, and intensify efforts toward securing overwhelming victories for all APC candidates in the forthcoming general elections,” Yawe said.

He added that the candidates’ emergence reflected the confidence reposed in their ability to provide effective representation and advance the ideals of the APC.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for Akume’s faction, Dan-Morgan Ihomun, explained that the APC National Secretariat authorised the issuance of INEC nomination forms to successful candidates from the party’s Assembly primaries in Benue.

According to him, candidates loyal to Senator Akume received their forms from the SGF, while those aligned with Governor Alia collected theirs from the governor.

The latest development comes weeks after the APC National Working Committee overturned the results of some National Assembly primaries in Benue, replacing candidates believed to be loyal to Governor Alia with aspirants aligned with Senator Akume, further intensifying the power struggle between the two APC leaders in the state.