Plot to replace Benue APC boss thickens

• It’s Cheap Blackmail, Says Party Chairman

Insinuations are rife that chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Abba Yaro, would be replaced over alleged anti-party activities. The Guardian gathered from staunch party members in the state that the chairman had abandoned the party’s governorship candidate, even as the party’s case was still at the Supreme Court.

According to the members who pleaded anonymity, the chairman is already shopping for a 2023 candidate from parties like All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the guber race.

But Yaro has denied all the allegations, describing the plot as cheap blackmail from his political rivals who were all out to tarnish his image.“I am not in any way working against the interest of the party,” Yaro stated. The APC chairman said he had been on medical treatment for a long time, noting that, it was too early to discuss the 2023 gubernatorial race, even as he denied ever engage in any anti-party activity and had no plan to do so in the future.

His words: “I can not in any way do anti-party activities. Everybody knows my principle and integrity as the APC chairman. I am the longest serving APC chairman in Nigeria.”Yaro described the relationship between him and the party’s governorship candidate as well as the party leader in the state, Sen. George Akume, as very cordial, contrary to speculations that they were not working together.

But when asked why he was absent at the commissioning of the ecological project by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Akume, a week ago, Yaro described those saying he had issues with the leadership of the party as enemies of progress.

“I don’t have any issue with my party,” he maintained. “As you can see, my long absence is because of the health challenges I have. Health is very important, even the leader of the party is very much aware that I went for medical attention. I cannot go about when I am not feeling fine. There is no way I can work against the interest of my party.”