Agbo shifts allegiance to Akume camp, faults Alia over Benue APC crisis
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The political realignment within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State ahead of the 2027 general elections has assumed a new dimension, following the reported decision of the party’s Benue South senatorial candidate, Francis Ottah Agbo, to align with the political structure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
Agbo, a former member of the House of Representatives, is said to have distanced himself from Governor Hyacinth Alia’s camp and embraced the strategic partnership associated with Akume and former Governor Samuel Ortom.
Reports on the political realignment in Benue have previously linked Akume’s APC structure with Ortom’s political network in what has been described as a “strategic partnership” ahead of the 2027 polls.
Agbo’s reported movement into the Akume camp is particularly significant because of his position as the APC candidate for Benue South.
Sources close to the former federal lawmaker said his decision followed concerns over the direction of the APC in the state and what he described as the need to maintain alignment with the national leadership of the party.
Agbo was also said to have expressed concern about alleged moves by some elements within the state government to work with opposition interests during the 2027 presidential election.
He reportedly argued that supporting arrangements that could undermine APC candidates for the National Assembly would amount to weakening the party’s structure ahead of the elections.
According to him, his decision was also influenced by the need to avoid any situation in which his political future would be affected by a disagreement between the state APC structure and the Presidency.
The former lawmaker was said to have made the position known while meeting some of his political associates in Abuja, where he reportedly sought closer cooperation with members of Akume’s political structure in Benue South.
Agbo was also said to have appealed to the SGF’s political allies in the senatorial district to support his aspiration against Moro.
His reported decision comes against the backdrop of growing political differences within the Benue APC, particularly between supporters of Alia and politicians aligned with Akume.
The differences have featured prominently in the state’s preparations for the 2027 elections, with various political actors publicly taking positions on the future direction of the party.
Agbo, in the latest development, reportedly criticised what he described as Alia’s “high-handedness” in the management of the APC, arguing that the governor’s handling of internal party affairs could deepen divisions within the party.
He was quoted as questioning how a state governor could allegedly disregard directives from the Presidency while simultaneously being accused of working with political interests opposed to APC candidates.
He reportedly said: “How can you call yourself a governor and you are disobeying Presidential Directives to the extent that you are now working for another party to defeat your president in a State which you govern.”
Agbo was further quoted as saying that Akume remained the leader of the APC in Benue and that aligning with the SGF’s political structure was necessary to protect his political interests ahead of the senatorial contest.
He also reportedly alleged that some political associates of Governor Alia had been assigned responsibilities across the 23 local government areas to mobilise support for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in the presidential election.
Also, Agbo also condemned the governor for his high-handedness, stressing that the way he is handling the All Progressive Congress in Benue state is capable of making President Bola Tinubu lose the state to the opposition in the next general elections.
According to him, he has to strategically dump the Governor’s camp and pledged his total loyalty to Senator George Akume for him not to lose his senatorial election against Senator Abba Moro, noting that the governor no longer enjoys the support of the people of Benue State.
The development is coming at a time when the battle for Benue South is already attracting significant political attention.
Moro, the incumbent senator representing the district, is seeking another term, while Agbo is campaigning on the APC platform.
