By Austin Angwe, Makurdi
The political face-off between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and Benue State governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, which lingered for nearly three years after the 2023 general elections, has been resolved.
Briefing journalists after a reconciliatory meeting held yesterday at the New Banquet Hall of Government House, Makurdi, Senator Akume said stakeholders at the meeting accepted Governor Alia’s apology for peace and unity of the party.
“We resolved that there should be peace because the governor said he was very sorry for all his actions in the past and should be forgiven, and we have taken his apologies,” Akume said.
The SGF further disclosed that stakeholders resolved that all those who won elections on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, from the State House of Assembly to the National Assembly, including the governor, should be given automatic tickets in 2027.
Governor Alia, on his part, confirmed to journalists that he convened the reconciliatory meeting so that all members of the party in the state could come under one roof ahead of 2027.
“What we just did is to reconcile with each other and find common ground. The intention is to go back to the basics as we were operating before, for partnership and friendship to work for the progress and development of the state and the nation,” Alia said.
He added that the meeting was deliberate to bring all aggrieved members back to work as a family to deliver the president and the party in the next general elections.
The governor, who described Benue as bigger than any one person, explained that the idea that propelled him to call the meeting was for himself, the SGF and other stakeholders to sit at a round table and operate under one roof as an APC family for the progress and development of the state.
In his remarks, the National Vice Chairman of APC, North Central, Muazu Bawa, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, affirming that the party in Benue is now one family.