The North Central All Progressives Congress Forum has expressed concern over the alleged move by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to work in cahoots with the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, to unseat his successor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.
The forum chaired by Saleh Zazzaga in a statement in Abuja on Monday remarked that it is worrisome that the SGF is hobnobbing with a leader of the opposition in Benue State in the person of Ortom.
Zazzaga, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election urged President Bola Tinubu to keep a close tab on the SGF whose alleged plot against Governor Alia could destabilize the APC in the North Central geopolitical zone.
The forum noted that the unholy alliance between the duo showcased at the thanksgiving programme organized in honour of Akume, at Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State during the weekend leaves no doubt about the depth of the conspiracy to unseat Governor Alia in the 2027 poll.
Reiterating its loss of confidence in the SGF’s capacity to lead the APC in the zone, the forum, noted that the alliance with Ortom shows that he does not have the interest of the APC at heart and is only concerned about loyalty to his person, and “control of the resources” of Benue State.
“If Senator Akume truly cares for Benue and the North Central, he would not enter an alliance with Ortom, whose past actions have shown little regard for the dignity and welfare of the people.
“We are worried that the SGF, who should be the leader of the APC in the North Central, will forge an alliance with disreputable opposition forces against an APC administration that is working hard to tackle the challenges in Benue State.
“The agenda of the alliance between Senator Akume and Chief Ortom is not about development; it is about Akume’s desire to control the government and resources of Benue State. The North Central APC Forum condemns this gang up in its entirety,” the forum noted.
The APC Forum expressed shock that Akume could form an alliance with Ortom, who, during his time as governor, boasted that he had retired the SGF from politics.
Noting that Ortom’s eight years as governor set Benue State back in terms of human and infrastructural development, the APC Forum wondered why the SGF, as a leader of the ruling party, should join forces with the PDP leader to destabilise an APC government.
Ortom, who left the APC for the People’s Democratic Party during his tenure as governor, was among the dignitaries at a thanksgiving event held at Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State over the weekend to honour the SGF.
The event was also organised to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of Akume’s major loyalists, Matthias Byuan, an Executive Director at the Federal Housing Authority.
Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, in a statement, criticised Ortom’s presence at the event, accusing him of poor leadership during his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2023.
On his part, Ortom, through his spokesman, Terver Akase, accused the Alia administration of receiving higher federal allocations without matching the expectations of citizens in addressing security and developmental challenges.
The Forum called on Tinubu and other leaders of the APC to act fast to forestall the destabilisation of the APC in the North Central.
