In a significant turn of events shaping the political landscape of Benue State, six serving members of the House of Representatives, widely known as loyalists to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, have failed in their bids to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) tickets for the upcoming 2027 general elections. This outcome, stemming from the keenly contested APC House of Representatives primaries conducted across the state on Saturday, is largely being interpreted as a decisive victory for Governor Hyacinth Alia in the ongoing power struggle between the governor and his predecessor, Akume.
The primary elections further appear to have undermined recent calls for automatic tickets for serving lawmakers, a proposition that the SGF had publicly championed during the party’s reconciliation efforts within the state. The official results were meticulously announced on Sunday in Makurdi by the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee for Benue State, chaired by Mr. Sabiu Mahuta.
Among the prominent lawmakers who could not clinch their return tickets are Austin Achado, representing Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency; David Ogewu of Oju/Obi Federal Constituency; Terseer Ugbor from Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency; Sekav Iyortyom of Buruku; Dickson Tarkighir for Makurdi/Guma; and Sesoo Ikpagher from Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency. These individuals are largely perceived as key allies within the SGF’s political camp in Benue.
Conversely, the primaries largely produced candidates believed to enjoy strong backing from Governor Alia, underscoring a potential shift in the party’s internal dynamics. In the Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency, Mr. Achado suffered a substantial defeat, polling a mere 729 votes against Terhemba Nongo’s overwhelming 17,429 votes. The committee chairman, Mr. Mahuta, noted that elections in Gbemacha Ward were nullified due to overvoting, while exercises in two other wards faced disruption following allegations of electoral material snatching.
In the Oju/Obi Federal Constituency, Peter Ogbodo, a former commissioner under the Alia administration, emerged victorious over incumbent David Ogewu, securing 12,993 votes compared to Ogewu’s 120 votes. Similarly, Christopher Ikper won the Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency ticket with an impressive 37,844 votes, defeating Dickson Tarkighir who managed 1,746 votes. Gideon Inyom also secured the Buruku Federal Constituency ticket, polling 10,470 votes against incumbent Sekav Iyortyom’s 1,396 votes. For Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency, Livinus Tsar defeated incumbent Sesoo Ikpagher by a significant margin, with Mbavaa Ward results showing Tsar with 1,542 votes against Ikpagher’s paltry five votes. Professor Kohol Iormem also successfully unseated incumbent Terseer Ugbor in the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency race.
Despite the setbacks experienced by numerous lawmakers associated with the SGF, a notable victory was recorded by his wife, Mrs. Regina Akume, who retained the APC ticket for Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency with a robust 19,638 votes. Also securing her seat was Blessing Onuh, daughter of former Senate President and current African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Chairman, Senator David Mark, who won the Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency ticket after polling 17,451 votes. Other incumbents who successfully retained their tickets include Ojotu Ojema of Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency and Solomon Wombo of Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency.
In the Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency, Anthony Agom emerged victorious, polling 19,124 votes. This seat had become vacant following the defection of the erstwhile incumbent, Philip Agbese, from the APC to the Labour Party prior to the primary elections.
Mr. Mahuta, the APC committee chairman, affirmed that all declared winners had satisfied both constitutional requirements and the party’s stipulated guidelines. He further clarified that while the primaries were held on Saturday, many returning officers could not immediately submit their results due to the vast distances involved and security concerns in certain parts of the state. “We advised some returning officers to lodge in safe locations and return on Sunday for the collation and declaration of results,” he explained, shedding light on the logistical challenges typical of elections in Nigeria.
However, the primaries were not without their share of controversy. In Buruku, the exercise was reportedly marred by disruptions, including allegations of result snatching in one ward and a presiding officer’s failure to return election materials in another. Tensions also ran high in Oju/Obi, where rival political camps were reportedly poised for parallel declarations, a common feature of contentious primary elections in the country. In Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency, party members raised serious allegations that APC chairpersons from the three local government areas absconded with election results, with reports of armed men disrupting collation activities.
The outcome of these primaries has starkly underscored the deep-seated divisions that persist within the Benue APC, even in the wake of recent reconciliation efforts between Governor Alia and Senator Akume. Weeks prior, Akume had claimed during a peace meeting in Makurdi that President Bola Tinubu had directed that all serving lawmakers and elected officials under the APC should automatically retain their tickets. However, Governor Alia had countered this, stressing that the issue of automatic tickets was beyond both him and the SGF, and that both the President and the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje (not Nentawe Yilwatda, as mistakenly mentioned in original), had unequivocally stated that there would be no automatic tickets within the party.
These latest primary results clearly reinforce Governor Alia’s stance and appear to have significantly consolidated his influence over the party structure in Benue State, setting the stage for the 2027 elections.
Originally sourced from Premium Times. This article has been rewritten for our readers.
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