Agbese Removes Alia’s Official Portrait from his Office

The crisis engulfing the ruling All Progressives Congress in Benue State has continued to fester following a rift between Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia and loyalists of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ex-Gov George Akume.

A loyalist of Akume, the current Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese today removed the portrait of the Governor from his Office.

Agbese represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in the green chamber.

Pointing to Akume’s, Agbese reiterated

He remains the leader of the party and the father of the State, he’s a man of fairness, equity, and that’s why we love him, and he has earned his respect.

Pointing to Alia’s portrait, Agbese said:

From today, I officially remove the portrait of this person (Alia) from my office because he’s not fit to be our leader. I can’t follow him if he doesn’t have respect for democracy, no respect for the Constitution, you are not my father, you are not my brother, your picture has no business been in my office.

Amid calls from officials of the State Government asking the State Chairman of the APC to resign, Austin Agada has fought back.

Agada, through the State Publicity Secretary alerted Nigerians of a rumoured sponsored protest against Senate President Akpabio, Akume and President Bola Tinubu.

The State Chapter of the APC fingered the State Government as those behind the protest.

BENUE APC UNCOVERS PLOT TO PROTEST AGAINST PRESIDENT TINUBU, SENATE PRESIDENT, SGF.

-Warns Against Acts That Would Generate Crisis

The All Progressives Congress in Benue State has discovered a plot by some unscrupulous officials of the Benue State Government to sponsor a large scale protest against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR in an effort to discourage him from giving effect to the Senate’s resolution stopping release of funds to local government caretaker committees in Nigeria.

The protest is also alleged to be targeting the Senate President, Distinguish Sen Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the Senate plenary that passed the resolution and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Dr George Akume, the Leader of APC in Benue, who has become a victim of malicious accusations in the State by mischief makers.

This plot has been deeply hatched and their first experimental step was the call on the Party Chairman in the State, Comrade Austin Agada to resign without advancing any genuine reason.

The party views this act of sabotage as portending grave danger to the unity of the state and the party, if people who claim APC membership and are working under an APC state government would undermine their President, the Senate President and the SGF in an open protest in their quest to stifle the hands of government on a matter of law.

Much as the organizers are free to express themselves, taking steps that would embarrass Mr. President and his administration is unacceptable and must be halted.

The party therefore calls on the Inspector General of Police and the Benue State Commissioner of Police to monitor closely this planned protest which may wear a semblance of solidarity march but with a sinister end motive.

The party equally calls on the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Iormem Alia to monitor the activities of unscrupulous elements around his government who are using his name to perpetrate acts that are capable of plunging the state into anarchy that would neccesitate the declaration of a state of emergency.

All security agencies in the state are enjoined to be on alert to check the activities of this group that seems to undermine the peace of the state and is hellbent on planting divisive tendencies. The general public should please, take note of this Nollywood script.

Dan-Morgan Ihomun ,
State Publicity Secretary, APC, Benue State
3rd December 2023.