In Benue State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds House of Representatives primaries in which allies of Governor Hyacinth Alia secure most of the party’s tickets. Multiple outlets report that candidates associated with the governor’s camp—described as the wife of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and Mark’s daughter—win APC nominations for Benue federal constituencies. The results are portrayed as a setback for the camp linked to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, whose loyalists reportedly lose several contests.
Vanguard and The Punch both describe a “sweep” or dominant performance by Alia’s camp in the primaries, while also noting that some incumbents still manage to retain nominations. Premium Times focuses on internal party fallout, stating that six serving lawmakers believed to be aligned with Akume lose their re-election bids in the APC primaries. The reports collectively point to a contested power struggle within the APC in Benue, with the governor’s faction gaining more of the House tickets than the SGF’s faction.
