APC support groups seek Tinubu, Ganduje’s intervention in Benue crisis

With the 2027 general elections approaching, some major support groups of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have called on President Bola Tinubu and the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, to intervene in the ongoing judicial conflict in Benue State.

They warned that the situation could pose a significant threat to democracy and create instability that opposition parties might exploit.

During a press conference at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, the support groups, led by Director General Dr. A.K. Peters, stressed the need for party unity and respect for the decisions made by the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC).

In February 2024, the NEC dissolved the Benue State APC executive committee, led by Hon. Austin Agada, and replaced it with a caretaker committee to resolve internal party disputes. However, the former chairman challenged the decision in court, sparking further division.

Reacting to the development, Peters said: “As the forum of support groups leaders, we are disappointed that the former chairman went to court to challenge the party against the party’s constitution which states that members must exhaust all internal mechanism to resolve an issue before going to the court, yet, the National leadership is just watching.”

He emphasized that the party must defend its decisions and uphold internal processes to prevent external forces from destabilizing their progress in the state.

The support groups also raised concerns over the role of the Benue State Chief Judge, alleging that opposition forces were leveraging the judiciary to undermine the APC-led government in the state and target President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We strongly call on the national leadership of the party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to immediately wade in to the pending danger and threat to democracy in Benue State,” Peters stated.

The groups condemned the Chief Judge’s decision to move the Benue State Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal to Abuja and waive security deposits for petitioners, describing it as an overreach of authority. They argued that such actions could render the tribunal’s decisions legally questionable and accused the judge of using the situation to paint the Tinubu administration in a negative light.

“The Benue State government, which is the funder of the tribunal, also issued a statement insisting that the government of the State is not aware of the relocation and assured the public that it could provide adequate security for the tribunal,” the statement added.

Calling for swift action, the support groups reaffirmed their loyalty to the party’s national leadership and urged Tinubu to intervene to protect the integrity of the APC and safeguard democratic principles in Benue State.