Benue APC crisis deepens as faction nominates candidates for council poll 

The crisis rocking the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is deepening by the day, as the Austin Agada-led executive committee has nominated 23  chairmanship and 276 councillorship candidates for the October 5 council election in the state.

The faction, backed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, was sacked by the Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party last week.

In defiance of a Benue State High court order procured by Agada to stop his removal from office, Ganduje subsequently inaugurated a seven-member caretaker committee, led by Benjamin Omale, to run the affairs of the party in the state.

Relying on the court order that okayed his continued stay in office, the Agada group conducted primaries at the weekend in all the ward headquarters across the 23 council areas to pick the candidates for the poll.

Agada, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, explained that the primaries were conducted through consensus/affirmations in most local councils and wards

Speaking on the development, Samuel Atsuku, who participated in the primary at Tarka Local Council, attributed the success largely to the commitment of stakeholders in the area.

He thanked the people, particularly the party faithful, for conducting themselves peacefully.

In Katsina-Ala Local Council, Simon Aluor, who also took part in the primaries, said the APC had exemplified orderliness and peace.

Similarly, in Gboko, the exercise ended on a peaceful note, as Basil Yina emerged as a candidate for the forthcoming poll.

In Otukpo, the party faithful affirmed Oleho Augustine as the chairmanship aspirant.

Speaking shortly after the exercise, the APC Party Chairman of Guma Local Council, Lazarus Asema, described the process as peaceful, lauding the leadership of the party in the state for proper organisation.

In their separate statements, Abua Yaji and Fidelis Audu scored the process high and commended stakeholders for peaceful conduct.