Benue APC Faces Internal Tensions, Akume Urges Dialogue
Dr Nafisat Makinde, Abuja
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, on Friday, May 22, 2026, called for unity within the All Progressives Congress in Benue State ahead of the party’s presidential primary scheduled for Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Akume made the appeal shortly after arriving at the Makurdi Airport on Friday ahead of the primary, where supporters gathered to receive him. This was contained in a statement issued by Yomi Odunuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the SGF.
He urged aggrieved aspirants and their supporters to embrace reconciliation and avoid actions capable of deepening divisions within the party following the APC primaries conducted earlier in the week in Benue State.
“We want the APC to be a united family,” Akume said. “Those of us who were the founding fathers of the party do not want factions in our party.”
The SGF also expressed concern over reports of alleged diversion of materials and other irregularities during the primaries, describing the development as disturbing and capable of undermining confidence in the party’s internal democratic process.
“I received so many reports about diversion of materials among other things, but I was not here, so I do not want to comment so much about that,” he said.
Akume called on party officials and security agencies to investigate the allegations and ensure accountability for anyone found culpable, while assuring members that efforts were underway to guarantee a credible and transparent process going forward.
He also expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s support base in Benue State ahead of the 2027 elections, saying the president’s performance and leadership style had continued to earn him support across the country.
“In democracy, you must always have some opposing voices, but the truth is that his work is remarkable,” he said. “We are very sure that come tomorrow our people are going to vote massively for Mr President.”
Akume further appealed to APC supporters in the state to remain peaceful and participate fully in Saturday’s presidential primary.