Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State have thrown their weight behind the re-election bids of Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, warning members against anti-party activities capable of weakening the party’s electoral prospects.

The stakeholders, under the aegis of Concerned Benue APC Stakeholders and Strategic Alliance, said the APC was bigger than individual leaders, aspirants and political groups, urging members to subordinate personal ambitions and disagreements to the collective interest of the party.

The group’s Convener and spokesman of the Strategic Alliance, Dr Dominic Alancha, stated this at a world press conference on anti-party activities, party supremacy, indiscipline and disunity within the Benue chapter of the APC.

Alancha, who acknowledged that he had previously campaigned against Alia’s re-election, said he had changed his position after recognising what he described as the supremacy of the party and the need to protect its interests ahead of the 2027 elections.

“As a spokesman for the Strategic Alliance Group before now, I have led conversations against Governor Hyacinth Alia’s re-election bid in our state based on convenient interest and other factors, but we have come to change our way because the party is supreme,” he said.

He insisted that the APC must not be held hostage to the personal ambitions of individuals or groups, saying disagreements with Governor Alia or party leaders should be addressed through recognised party structures.

“We make bold to say without ambiguity that APC belongs to all of us,” Alancha said, describing the party as “too big to be held hostage to the personal ambition of an individual or group of persons.”

He warned that activities aimed at weakening the APC could affect its ability to retain power in Benue and contribute to Tinubu’s re-election campaign at the national level.

“If anybody has a disagreement with Governor Hyacinth Alia, there are legitimate avenues for expressing that disagreement. If anybody believes the party leadership has made a mistake, the party has organs through which that grievance can be presented,” he said.

Alancha also urged members seeking political offices to follow established procedures, warning against turning personal disagreements into campaigns against the party. “You cannot destroy the house simply because you are unhappy with the person occupying one room in that house,” he said.

The group expressed support for the Alia administration, saying the governor’s performance provided a basis for seeking another mandate. “Today, our position as stakeholders is that the Alia-led administration’s achievements in governance provide a strong basis for the Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek another mandate in 2027,” Alancha said.

He pledged that the group would campaign for both leaders and mobilise support across Benue State. “We will defend the APC mandate, and we will mobilise across Benue State for the re-election of Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Alancha warned that members who engaged in anti-party activities should be prepared to face disciplinary measures under the APC constitution and rules, stressing that nobody should expect immunity because of his or her position, history or influence.

“The APC constitution is not meant for ordinary members alone. The constitution applies to everybody: big man or small man, leader or follower, elected official or party activist. The rules must be the same,” he said.

He called on APC elders and stakeholders to embrace reconciliation, rise above personal interests and use the party’s recognised structures to resolve grievances ahead of the 2027 elections. “We want a united APC. We want a disciplined APC. We want an APC that is confident about its record,” he said.

Alancha declared: “No individual is bigger than the APC. No faction is bigger than the APC. No personal ambition is bigger than the APC. The party must come first. Benue must come first.”