The National Assembly primary election conducted by the ruling APC in Benue State has left the party more divided, with allegations of electoral manipulation, candidate imposition and internal betrayal threatening ongoing reconciliation efforts ahead of the general elections. JOHN CHARLES examines the controversy surrounding the exercise and its implications for the party’s future in the state.

The National Assembly primary election conducted by the ruling All Progressives Congress in Benue State may have come and gone, but its outcome has further deepened divisions within the party.

There had been indications that peace was still elusive in the party despite the well-attended reconciliation meeting held in Makurdi a few weeks ago.

At the end of the meeting, the feuding camps emerged with differing interpretations of the resolutions reached. While the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the Benue APC crisis was to grant automatic tickets to all serving members of the state and National Assembly, including the governor through consensus, Governor Hyacinth Alia disagreed.

According to the governor, both the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, and the president had made it clear that there would be no automatic tickets for any serving elected official during the primaries.

“The issue of automatic tickets is beyond me and the SGF because the national chairman of the party and the president had declared that there would be no automatic ticket. The submission of the SGF was only a prayer,” Governor Alia said.

Although the reconciliation meeting resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to further reconcile the aggrieved factions, the move suffered a setback following the circulation of a leaked communiqué in which the issue of automatic tickets was allegedly inserted.

The Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, who also chaired the communiqué drafting committee, stated that the committee only prepared a draft communiqué for both the governor and the SGF to review and approve.

He insisted that at no point did the committee deliberate on or endorse automatic tickets for National or State Assembly members.

“At no time in our communiqué did we mention automatic tickets for National Assembly members, State Assembly members or anybody for that matter.

“Whoever mischievously sponsored the publication currently in circulation is doing a great disservice to the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the APC family, as well as the spirit of the ongoing reconciliation and peace efforts,” the deputy governor said.

Sources within government circles claimed that the governor’s camp was angered by the leaked communiqué, which they alleged was orchestrated by one of the serving senators loyal to the SGF in an attempt to shape public perception.

There were also unconfirmed reports that the governor’s camp vowed to ensure that politicians loyal to the SGF, particularly members of the National Assembly caucus, would not secure return tickets during the primaries.

Whether or not the allegation was true, the outcome of the National Assembly primaries appeared to support the claim, as six members of the House of Representatives and two senators believed to be loyal to the SGF lost their bids to secure the party’s tickets.

For now, many party members remain uncertain about the implications of the primaries. Although the state has remained calm, political tension and uncertainty continue to dominate the atmosphere. While the winners have largely refrained from open celebrations, the losers are still grappling with the outcome and what it could mean for their political future.

Tension has continued to mount across Benue State following the conduct of the APC National Assembly primaries, with many party members and political observers describing the exercise as deeply flawed.

For many stakeholders, the once united and vibrant ruling party now appears badly fractured, with accusations of manipulation and candidate imposition dominating political discussions across the state.

One of the commercial drivers hired to transport security personnel and election materials to a local government area in Benue North-East Senatorial District, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed concern over the conduct of the exercise.

According to him, “As soon as we arrived at the local government headquarters, our first point of call was the Divisional Police Office. From there, we proceeded to the council secretariat where the election materials were distributed to some persons waiting for us. They immediately moved into one of the offices where figures were allegedly allocated to aspirants.”

The driver alleged that the outcome of the primaries appeared predetermined, claiming that the entire process was coordinated by the state working committee loyal to the governor.

“Right from the party secretariat, which has remained under the control of the governor’s exco, the election materials were handed over to officials loyal to the governor. The primary election committee also worked closely with them. All the local government returning officers were appointed by the Benjamin Omale-led exco put in place by the governor,” he alleged.

A political analyst in the state, Tony Ogah, also faulted the conduct of the exercise, describing what transpired during the primaries as “a shame.”

He argued that direct primaries, when properly conducted, remained one of the best democratic methods of candidate selection.

“Let me first correct the impression created by some people who condemned direct primaries because of what happened during this exercise,” he said.

“To me, direct primaries hold the key to unlocking the power of the masses. They also help to revive party loyalty and reduce the influence of personal interests.

“Even if the powers that be wanted to reward loyalty, it should have been done in a manner that would strengthen our democratic system.”

Ogah recalled that the APC also adopted direct primaries during the 2023 elections in the state, noting that party members openly queued behind their preferred candidates at the time.

“But during this primary election, if you moved around the capital city as a journalist, where exactly did you witness voting taking place throughout the National Assembly primaries?” he asked.

“It was the same situation across the state. Election materials were allegedly hijacked and taken either to local government secretariats or private residences of political godfathers where results were simply allocated to preferred aspirants.”

Ogah warned that the alleged imposition of candidates had already created resentment within the party and could negatively affect the APC’s chances in the forthcoming general elections if not properly addressed.

Also speaking, a party stakeholder in the state who identified himself simply as Chief Akeh expressed concern over the conduct of the primaries, although he commended party members for maintaining peace throughout the exercise.

According to him, what played out during the just concluded State and National Assembly primaries reflected the nature of politics in the country, but noted that the situation could have been better if party members had been allowed to freely choose their preferred candidates.

“Actually, the primary election has left a bitter taste in our mouths, but one thing I appreciate is the peaceful manner in which the other camps reacted to the outcome of the exercise,” he said.

“Instead of resorting to violence, they chose the path of peace by taking their grievances to the appeal panel. I only hope the panel will be fair enough to arrive at the truth.

“Because if there was truly an election and the people voted you out, then you would know outrightly that you were rejected. But the primaries were allegedly marred by several irregularities, ranging from the hijacking of election materials to the non-conduct of elections in many council wards across the state,” Akeh argued.

Similarly, the State Publicity Secretary of the Agada-led APC executive committee, Daniel Ihomun, who is loyal to the SGF, disclosed that more than 10 aspirants from their camp who lost the National Assembly primaries had petitioned the party’s appeal panel over alleged irregularities.

According to him, “The election was marred by electoral fraud, and that has the potential to destroy the ongoing reconciliation efforts because once people are denied the opportunity to exercise their franchise, you are inviting trouble.

“Our party was built on the principles of fairness and democratic values, but when things are not done properly, it could lead to chaos and serious crisis.

“We hope the party leadership will correct these mistakes ahead of the general elections. It is one thing to secure a party ticket and another thing entirely to win the general election.”

Ihomun also expressed concern that “strangers and political opportunists” had allegedly taken over the party from its legacy members, warning that such a development could harm the APC if not urgently addressed.

Meanwhile, the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Benedict Yawe, of the Benjamin Omale-led executive committee and a loyalist of Governor Hyacinth Alia, commended the governor and the National Assembly Primary Election Committee for what he described as the peaceful conduct of the primaries.

According to Yawe, the exercise was conducted in a peaceful and transparent atmosphere, which he attributed to the leadership provided by Governor Alia and the state party chairman, Benjamin Omale.

“The National Assembly Primary Election Committee did very well. They were transparent during the distribution of election materials and made it clear that the materials were not meant for anybody in particular but for all party members,” he said.

“For the public to know that the election was free and fair, there was no report of violence anywhere before, during or after the National Assembly primaries. We expect the same peaceful atmosphere during the State Assembly and governorship primaries.”

Yawe further attributed the calm political atmosphere witnessed throughout the exercise to the commitment of Governor Alia, whom he said had promised to provide a level playing field for all aspirants to test their popularity at the polls. (The PUNCH)

Update news