Key political actors in Benue State, under the aegis of Concerned Benue APC Stakeholders, have declared support for the re-election bids of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group made its position known at a world press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Its Convener and spokesman, Dr Dominic Alancha, said the decision marked a shift from the group’s previous opposition to the state administration, citing party supremacy, political realities, and what he described as growing national acceptability of President Tinubu’s administration.
Alancha said internal political rivalries had led some party leaders to pursue individual interests instead of advancing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
He said rising public confidence in Tinubu’s administration and Governor Alia’s transformation agenda in Benue called for greater unity among party members.
‘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 interests and other factors, but we have come to change our way because the party is supreme,’ Alancha declared.
‘As a loyal party man, the bigger party interest must be respected.’
He also warned against anti-party activities and factional groupings in the state, saying unchecked internal wrangling could affect the APC’s prospects in the 2027 elections.
‘The APC is bigger than every leader, every aspirant, and every political group, and the party must come first,’ he asserted. ‘You cannot destroy the house simply because you are unhappy with the person occupying one room in that house. That is not loyalty, that is not party politics, and that is not how a serious political organisation survives.’
Highlighting Governor Alia’s performance in Benue State, the group noted that the state’s development trajectory under the current administration offers a solid foundation to mobilise voters across all local government areas, wards, and units for both the presidential and governorship polls in 2027.
‘Today, our position as stakeholders is that the Alia-led administration’s achievements in governance provide a strong basis for Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek another mandate in 2027. We will not only campaign for that mandate, but we shall also ensure their victory in the 2027 general elections and continue to defend the record of the administration,’ Alancha added.
Addressing party leaders and aggrieved members operating under factional platforms, Alancha called for immediate reconciliation while demanding strict enforcement of party discipline. He noted that the APC constitution applies equally to all members, regardless of position or influence.
‘If anybody chooses the path of anti-party activity, then such a person must also be prepared to face the consequences provided by the constitution and rules of the party,’ Alancha cautioned. ‘Where credible evidence establishes that a member has violated the party’s rules, the appropriate authorities must act… because a political party without discipline is not a political party; it is a crowd, and the APC is not a crowd.’
The group called on party elders and leaders across Benue State to set aside personal political ambitions in favour of a united front to secure a decisive victory for President Tinubu and Governor Alia in 2027.