By Beatrice Gondyi
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has attributed the ongoing crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to his refusal to share state funds with certain party chieftains, saying he was elected by the people and not by a few individuals seeking to privatise public resources.
Alia made the remarks during the Tiv Day celebrations in Adamawa State, where he was represented by James Iorpuu, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency.
“Some party leaders want to turn the state into their private estate, and I said that will not happen under my leadership,” Alia said. “Benue State existed before those individuals, and Benue State will continue to exist after them. I was elected by the people of Benue; no one has more than one vote. The people of the state will decide my fate, not a few individuals who prioritise their family interests over the interests of the state.”
The crisis in the Benue APC has been publicly apparent for months, centring on control of party structures and state resources. Alia has been locked in a prolonged political dispute with George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with divisions becoming increasingly irreconcilable.
In early November 2026, Akume’s faction and key party figures boycotted the inauguration of Alia’s campaign council, despite the party having claimed in May 2026 that the crisis had been resolved through reconciliation. The boycott demonstrated that the underlying divisions remain unresolved.
Discussion about this post