Political Earthqu∆ke in Benue as Akume Loyalists Crash Out – Six APC Reps Lose Return Tickets Ahead of 2027

Makurdi — A major political shake-up has rocked the Benue chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as six serving members of the House of Representatives loyal to Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, have lost their bids to secure return tickets for the 2027 elections.

The lawmakers were defeated in the party’s primaries by candidates aligned with Governor Hyacinth Alia, signaling a dramatic shift in the internal power structure of the APC in the state.

The outcome further exposes the widening rift within the Benue APC, where control of party structures has increasingly become a fierce contest between the Akume and Alia political blocs.

Akume had previously maintained that a reconciliation arrangement with the governor included automatic tickets for all serving APC lawmakers. However, Governor Alia dismissed the claim, insisting that the party’s national leadership had ruled out automatic tickets, describing it as “a prayer, not a resolution.”

The losses highlight the growing dominance of the Alia camp in the party’s ticket distribution process ahead of the 2027 general elections.