The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on Friday appealed for unity within the All Progressives Congress in Benue State following controversies surrounding the party’s recent primary elections.
Speaking with journalists at the Makurdi Airport, Akume acknowledged widespread complaints over the conduct of the state, National Assembly and governorship primaries, which were reportedly marred by irregularities.
The SGF noted that while grievances existed within the party, those responsible for any wrongdoing would face consequences at the appropriate time.
Reports indicate that the camp of Governor Hyacinth Alia dominated the National Assembly and State Assembly primaries conducted across the state.
Akume, regarded as one of the founding fathers of the APC, stressed that his priority remained the preservation of unity within the party and the promotion of fairness among members.
“What I want to say is this: I want the APC to be a united family. This was how we intended it to be. Those of us who were founding fathers of the party, we don’t want factions in our party,” he said.
The former Benue governor explained that his visit to the state was aimed at mobilising support ahead of the APC presidential primary scheduled for Saturday, insisting that Benue people remained loyal to President Bola Tinubu.
He urged party supporters across the state to participate massively in the exercise and expressed confidence that Tinubu would secure re-election in 2027.
Akume also appealed to party faithful to move beyond the controversies surrounding previous primaries, expressing optimism that the presidential primary would be conducted transparently.
“I just want to appeal to our supporters in Benue State to remain calm and to come out en masse to vote for the primaries for our presidential candidates,” he stated.
The SGF further warned against the diversion of election materials, stressing that the people of Benue were politically conscious and capable of holding leaders accountable when necessary.
“I believe that there will be no diversion of materials, and this is very important. I have seen elections before; I’ve been in this game for a long time since 1998,” he added.
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