By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The former Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State, Anthony Adah has appealed to the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party and President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the crisis rocking the party in the state.

The Youth Leader who made the call weekend in Makurdi said the appeal became necessary following the deep rooted crisis that had bedeviled the party leading to the factoinalisation of the State Workng Committee of the party along the lines of the pro Senator George Akume group and pro-Hyacinth Alia group.

Adah expressed worry that despite the intervention and peace deal brokered by the Paramount ruler of the Tiv tribe, the Tor Tiv, HRM Orchivirigh Prof. James Aytase in Gboko where Governor Alia and Senator Akume embraced each other, the crisis had continued to fester.

Mr. Adah who aside being the Youth Leader of the party in Benue South District also serves as Director of Operations in the Alia/Ode campaign organisations 2023, said having worked so hard for the victory of the party the current animosity in the APC was uncalled for and unacceptable.

He said: “Having one of the most prominent politicians in Federation, in the person of Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, as our leader and having a Reverend gentleman as our Governor; our state is supposed to be one of the most peaceful and progressive state in the present day Nigeria.

“But unfortunately there is so much animosity and there is no unity which calls for concern. So I am cautioning and pleading with the parties involved in this political unrest in the state to thread softly and allow peace to reign.

“Recent happening in the state suggests that if this infighting in the Benue APC is not nipped in the bud on time the build up to the 2027 general election in the state might witness an unprecedented political violence.”

Adah who also served as Councillor of Okonobo Council Ward in Okpokwu LGA in 2007 lamented that after working hard to ensure the victory of APC in Benue State “some of us have been pushed aside after being tagged Senator Akume boys or men.
“So the question is who in APC in Benue is not an Akume man including the Governor himself. It was the SGF that assembled all of us together and we worked to deliver President Bola Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia.

“The division in the party is uncalled for. What should be done is for the two parties to come together and look for a way forward. There is no place in the constitution of the APC that allows a state to have two State Chairmen. There is a legitimate Chairman in the state who participated in the Congresses and won.
“If the Governor is not comfortable with the State Chairman he can call for his removal through the appropriate channel and not to have two factions that is leading to mayhem or turbulence on a daily basis.

“So we must note that the Governor as the Chief Security Officer of the state has the powers to call everybody together and state that this is what I want. And the party will not argue with him. We have seen same situations in other states even at the national level. So it will not be strange. But having two factions is not healthy and by no means is it helping the state.”

Continuing, Ada said, “recently there was this peace deal between Governor Ali and Senator Akume which was brokered by the Tor Tiv in Gboko. I think it was a well calculated and timely intervention to ensure peace.

“As to whether the deal will stand or not is yet to be determined; since there is no body language indicating that peace has been restored because not up to 48 hours ago we all saw what happened in the state where some youths barricaded the way to the APC Secretariat in Makurdi and properties were destroyed.

“This came barely few weeks after the reconciliation meeting that led to the peace deal brokered by the Tor Tiv. I think we should respect our traditional rulers. The Paramount ruler of the Tiv Nation cannot call for peace and other people would go behind to thwart that effort.

“At this point I think that President, Bola Tinubu and the National Working Committee, NWC of the party should intervene. It is time for them to sit and summon Benue to Abuja and issue stern warning as well as correct the abnormality in the state chapter of the party.

“Our fear is that if the Benue situation is left unattended to, the build up to the 2027 election, like I said will witness mayhem.
Already, the hatred and the way and manner people look at each other as if they are sworn enemies is becoming a thing of concern.”