The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State is currently divided into two factions, with each presenting its own list of candidates for the local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.
The split is between Augustine Agada, the chairman of the dissolved state executive of the party and the Benjamin Omale, the Caretaker Committee Chairman appointed by the Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee of the party.
Ornguga, the Caretaker Organising Secretary and Spokesman of the APC Caretaker Committee in the state, addressed journalists in Makurdi on Friday, detailing the results of the primaries by his faction aligned with the current caretaker committee.
Ornguga reported that this faction’s primaries proceeded smoothly, with the party nominating 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship candidates. “All local governments in the state have concluded their primaries and submitted the results to the caretaker committee,” he said.
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Ornguga commended party members for their peaceful conduct during the primaries and praised the aspirants for their discipline during the screening exercise held on September 1 and 2, 2024.
“APC is pleased that no violence was reported during the process, and those with concerns regarding the screening exercise approached the Barr. Moses Atagher-led Screening Appeal Committee, which addressed all cases,” he added.
The results from Ornguga’s faction revealed that Mr. Timothy Adi won the chairmanship ticket in Gwer East, Mr. Guda Terkura secured the ticket in Vandiekya LGA, Mr. Joseph Keffi won in Makurdi, Mr. Jonathan Modi in Ukum, and Mr. Kumasuun Tyowase in Ushongo.
Meanwhile, the rival Agada-led faction, which had been dissolved by the national working committee, claimed to have conducted its own parallel primaries and announced a separate list of candidates for the local government elections.
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This split within the APC has added a layer of complexity to the upcoming elections in Benue.
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