A fresh faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue state now known as ‘New APC’ emerged yesterday with the current Chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in the state, Baba Agan, claiming its leadership.

The leadership crisis bedeviling the party worsened at the weekend as prominent party members were said to have staged a walk-out on the harmonisation meeting called to pave way for an interim leadership of the party in the state.

It was gathered that meeting which held Sunday evening at Royal Choice hotel, Makurdi by both faction of the APC in the state appointed the Senate Minority Leader, George Akume as chairman, harmonisation committee of the party.

But, Akume was said to have altered the position and named one of his loyalists, Barr. Targema Takema, to chair the 15-man yet to be named interim executive members expected to harmonise the merging opposition parties in the state.

The development was said to have provoked a counter reaction from some among the 39 leaders of the party in attendance who felt belittled by the choice of Takema because he had never held any position either in the state or at the national level throughout his participation in party politics.

Reacting on a telephone interview, one of the aggrieved persons, Alhaji Abubakar Maishanu Usman (Young Alhaji), told our correspondent that he had to walk out of the meeting because Senator Akume’s imposition of his ‘boy’ was a complete disregard to the party’s constitution.

But Agan, who announced his new faction in Makurdi, blamed the development on the inability of Senate minority leader, George Akume to adhere to party constitution without imposing unpopular candidates on members.

“What you see happening in the Benue state chapter of the APC today is a direct fallout of an era of impunity and disconnect between leading members of the party and the Senate Minority Leader,” he said.

Agan said he has 20,000 followers that do not recognise Akume as leader of the party in the state and as such would not be subject to him.

Akume’s media assistant, Mrs. Becky Orpine, told journalists that Agan does not know what he is talking about and that he was never a member of the APC as claimed.

“Is he a member of the APC? There is no crisis in Benue state APC and nobody is looking towards that direction because we are a united family,” she said.

•Text courtesy of Daily Trust. Photo shows ‘New APC’ chieftain, Senator George Akume.