The Alia-Tinubu Campaign Council has rejected the newly unveiled strategic alliance for Tinubu/Shettima Re-election 2027, describing the Council as contemptuous and injurious to the fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its electioneering machinery in the State as coordinated by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The rejection was contained in a text of a press briefing by Richard Asema, Director General, Tinubu/Alia 2027 Campaign Council, Benue State, held at the Campaign Secretariat on Friday said Alia/Tinubu did not need any strategic alliance to win the 2027 elections.
Asema said the party views with serious concern the purported formation of the Alliance by some political individuals and groups and the subsequent announcement of a Campaign Council for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu describing such as an act of mischief aimed at misleading the public.
According to him, “a critical look at the membership of the so-called Campaign Council reveals that governorship candidates of other political parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), as well as officers of some other minority parties, are members of the group.”
“The party also observed that the Alliance is populated by some members of the APC, some of whom are holding senior positions in the Federal Government, including George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation.
“The APC in Benue State, under the leadership of Governor Hyacinth Alia and the chairmanship of Benjamin Omale, wishes to strongly reject the purported Strategic Alliance and its Campaign Council”, Asema said.
He described the Council as contemptuous and injurious to the fortunes of the APC and its electioneering machinery in the state as being coordinated by Governor Alia”
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“From all credible intelligence available to the party, Asema said, the Strategic Alliance has a hidden agenda, which is to sabotage the election of Governor Alia in the 2027 elections, while masquerading as supporters of President Tinubu”, he noted.
He said the APC in Benue State recently constituted a comprehensive Campaign Council with over 900 loyal and credible party leaders as members, which was publicly inaugurated on Thursday, 5th November at the IBB Square, Makurdi.
He added that most members of the so-called Strategic Alliance were appointed into that Council, but soon after the membership was announced, these same persons hastily declared that they would not participate in the activities of the Council.
“It is regrettable that some APC members have fallen prey to this political gimmick by allowing themselves to be used for this act of political mischief”, Asema stated.
He said Benue State is fundamentally and evidentially a strong base of the APC, adding that the party is well grounded, popular and loved by the people of the state, and by God’s grace, will win the 2027 elections decisively with a higher margin than in 2023.
He recalled that in the 2023 elections, the party did not only win the Governorship seat, it delivered President Tinubu and won two of three senatorial seats, and currently controls 27 out of 32 State House of Assembly seats, 10 of 11 House of Representatives seats, 23 Local Government chairmen and all 276 elected councillors across the State.
He attributed Governor Alia’s popularity to his outstanding performance through high-profile infrastructure projects, establishment of medium and large-scale industries, development of education, employment of 9,700 teachers, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, and clearance of arrears, among others.
Asema said, “the APC does not need any alliance to win the 2027 elections, and I want to warn against any attempt to confuse party members and the people of Benue, I want to also advised APC members in the Strategic Alliance to disengage forthwith and regroup with the mainstream leadership under Governor Alia”.
He assured President Tinubu and Governor Alia of massive support and victory at the forthcoming polls.
Recall that the Benue Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027 had earlier disclaimed the purported Alia Campaign structure, describing it as unauthorised and misleading.
In a statement signed by Akange Audu, its Director General, the Alliance said its attention was drawn to a publication jointly signed by one Benjamin Omale and James Ornguga, which purported to present an Alia Campaign structure containing the names of several individuals, including its Conveners, Jack Tilley-Gyado, and Elder Simon Shango, as well as its candidates for the National Assembly and Benue State House of Assembly, among others.
According to the Alliance, “for the avoidance of doubt, the Alliance categorically dissociated itself from the said publication and disowned any claim or suggestion that the individuals mentioned therein are associated with, or constitute members of, the purported Alia Campaign structure”.
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