A festering political rift in Benue State is casting a long shadow over the 2027 general election, with many federal lawmakers from the state facing an uncertain path back to the National Assembly.

At the centre of the crisis is the power struggle between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, a contest that has effectively split the party’s structure in the state and forced elected officials to take sides.

Benue has 14 federal lawmakers, three senators and 11 members of the House of Representatives, who were elected in 2023 on the platforms of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The APC dominates the delegation, controlling 10 House seats and two Senate positions, while the PDP held one House seat (which it has since lost to the APC through defection) and one Senate seat.

However, since the elections, internal divisions within the APC have deepened, with lawmakers aligning either with the governor or the SGF, a development now shaping the battle for party tickets ahead of 2027.

Findings indicate that the crisis has already triggered political realignments. A loyalist of Akume and Deputy spokesperson of the House, Philip Agbese, recently defected from the APC to the Labour Party, in what observers interpret as fallout from the governor’s tightening grip on the party structure.

Sources familiar with the situation said the outlook is bleak for many incumbents seeking re-election on the APC platform.

The source said, “Out of 11 Reps members from Benue State who are all in APC, only Solomon Wombo is with Alia, and only he has full assurance of the APC ticket.

“The remaining 10 members are with Akume, including the Deputy spokesman of the House, Philip Agbnese, who has since defected to the Labour Party.

“Out of the two APC senators, neither of them is with the governor. Even Senator Abba Moro, who is a PDP member, is with Akume.”

The uncertainty has also affected prominent figures such as Blessing Onuh, daughter of former Senate President David Mark, whose political future is now tied to the shifting alliances within the state.

According to the source, “Blessing Onuh, before now was with Alia, but internal strife has emerged. Onuh is from Otukpo, where the Benue State deputy governor hails from. The man (Alia) is fighting her because he wants the seat to go to Ohimini, and Otukpo has spent eight years.

“But because Blessing Onuh is eying the speakership of the House or any principal position in North Central, she is rooting to come back. She is very likely to switch parties soon.”

Efforts to salvage the situation appear to have made little headway, despite interventions from top federal officials.

He continued, “Vice President Kashim Shettima met with the Benue State National Assembly caucus two weeks ago, having assured them of return tickets.

“He also asked them to prevail on Agbese to return to the APC. Despite this assurance, there is a huge doubt whether Alia would allow this to happen. That’s why Agbese defected on the floor of the House two weeks ago.”

The source further alleged that attempts by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to broker peace have been unsuccessful.

“Alia has refused to meet with the lawmakers. A series of meetings at the instance of Speaker Abbas, who was appointed to break the truce in Benue, were not successful.

“The Speaker would call for a meeting, but the governor will not turn up. Even the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, convened a series of meetings, but Alia refused to turn up; Akume and the lawmakers always turned up.”

The crisis in Benue APC is rooted in a long-standing rivalry between Alia and Akume, a former governor of the state and one of the most influential political figures in the North Central.

Akume, who governed Benue from 1999 to 2007 and later served as Minister of Special Duties before his appointment as SGF, built an extensive political network that has shaped the state’s electoral outcomes for years.

Alia, a political outsider before his emergence as governor in 2023, rode to power on a wave of popular support but has since moved to consolidate control of the party machinery in the state.

His push to assert authority over nominations, appointments and party leadership has brought him into direct confrontation with Akume’s loyalists.

At the heart of the dispute is control over party structures and, by extension, the power to determine candidates for elective offices, a critical factor in Nigeria’s political system, where governors wield significant influence over party tickets at the state level. (The PUNCH)

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