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Recent viral publications rating the performance of Benue APC federal lawmakers may carry deeper political significance than the surface numbers suggest, according to political insiders in the state.
On the face of it, the assessments appear to be routine evaluations of federal legislators. However, sources close to the party indicate that the exercise likely had the quiet endorsement of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, the long-time factional leader of the APC in Benue.
Some lawmakers perceived to be aligned with Akume reportedly viewed the ratings with suspicion, interpreting them as part of a subtle realignment of power dynamics within the state chapter.
Analysts now believe Akume and Governor Hyacinth Alia may have reached a behind-the-scenes understanding, effectively ending—or significantly de-escalating—the prolonged cold war that has defined Benue APC politics since 2023. If true, the once-dominant factional lines may have quietly dissolved at the top, leaving many federal lawmakers unaware of the shift and increasingly isolated in their positions.
The theory gains weight from recent developments surrounding the removal of former Governor Hope Uzodimma as a key national figure. Uzodimma is said to have released authentic congress materials to the Alia-aligned faction—against the apparent interest of the presidency—followed by congress outcomes that clearly favoured the governor’s structure. This sequence has been interpreted as evidence that the national leadership has recognized and aligned with Alia’s camp in Benue.
At the local level, signals of the realignment are already visible. In Oju and Obi, the influence of Hon. David Ogewu—an Akume loyalist—is said to have waned noticeably. Local government chairmen, acting as chief security officers in their domains, reportedly barred Ogewu from holding public meetings after the recent congresses, sending a clear message that loyalty must now be demonstrated to the state leadership rather than to the Abuja faction.
In Nigerian politics, quiet settlements often prove more decisive than public quarrels. The current body language within Benue APC suggests the once-heated rivalry between Akume and Alia may be over, with real power now resting firmly in the governor’s camp.
Those federal lawmakers who previously fell out with Alia now appear to be operating in the shadow of a faction that may no longer exist in its previous form. Akume, once the undisputed focal point of the opposition camp, may have quietly stepped back from that role.
As the dust settles, attention turns to whether the apparent truce will hold through the build-up to 2027 or if lingering grievances among sidelined figures will resurface. For now, the factional fault lines that once dominated Benue APC discourse seem reduced to echoes of past battles.
(By James Ibechi)
