By EMMANUEL ANTSWEN

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue says its prolonged internal crisis has been resolved after a high-level reconciliation meeting in Makurdi.

The peace meeting brought together Gov. Hyacinth Alia, party leaders, lawmakers and other influential stakeholders across the state.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, announced the resolutions after closed-door deliberations on Sunday.

Akume said stakeholders openly reviewed grievances, disagreements and political misunderstandings that had weakened the party.

According to him, members agreed to prioritise unity, dialogue and mutual respect moving forward.

“We reviewed our mistakes and agreed to rebuild an inclusive party,” Akume said.

He said party leaders accepted that divisions had slowed political progress and affected internal confidence.

Akume disclosed that members reached a consensus supporting Alia’s return as governorship candidate.

He said the governor acknowledged concerns raised by aggrieved members during discussions.

"The governor apologised, and that is an important step toward reconciliation,” he said.

Akume said he also conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s message on party unity.

According to him, the President urged elected APC officials to work together. He said this included lawmakers at both state and national levels.

Akume expressed confidence that the meeting would strengthen party cohesion in Benue.

He added that unity would improve cooperation ahead of future political activities.

Speaking afterwards, Alia described the meeting as timely and necessary.

The governor said the gathering was designed to heal divisions and restore confidence.

“This meeting was deliberate and aimed at bringing everyone back together,” Alia said.

He said he apologised to members who felt excluded or offended. “I apologised on behalf of all members to those aggrieved,” he said.

Alia stressed that Benue’s interests must come above personal ambitions. “Benue is bigger than any individual, and unity must prevail,” he said.

The governor said reconciliation remained necessary for effective governance and development.

He added that leadership required sacrifice, understanding and collective responsibility.

On automatic tickets, Alia dismissed reports of any official directive. He said no formal approval had come from party leadership.

“The President and party leadership have not approved automatic tickets,” he said, explaining that earlier comments were only appeals for support.

NAN reports that federal appointees, lawmakers and stakeholder representatives attended the meeting. (NAN)

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