Alia’s Campaign Council Rejects Akume-Led Alliance for Tinubu in Benue

The Tinubu–Alia Campaign Council in Benue State has rejected a separate coalition backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, widening the split between supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia and those aligned with Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, News About Nigeria reports.

Richard Asema, director-general of the Tinubu–Alia council, announced the decision at a press briefing in Makurdi on Friday.

He alleged that the rival alliance was working against Alia’s bid for a second term and urged members of the All Progressives Congress involved in it to withdraw.

The alliance includes former governor Samuel Ortom and the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Michael Aondoakaa.

The Benue PDP said on Thursday that its support for the alliance applied to Tinubu’s presidential bid. It said its own campaign council would work for the party’s candidates in the governorship, National Assembly and state assembly races.

The state APC inaugurated its joint campaign council for Tinubu and Alia on 5 November. Akume’s allies had already disowned their inclusion on that council’s list.

The alliance named Akume as chairman and Ortom as deputy chairman and announced plans to open its Makurdi campaign secretariat on 20 November.

The split leaves Tinubu with two groups campaigning for him in Benue. Alia’s council is asking voters to back both the president and the governor, while the PDP is backing Tinubu through the alliance and campaigning for Aondoakaa in the governorship race.