The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Governor Alia’s loyalists in Vandeikya local government have taken a bold step by suspending the party’s chairman, Hon. Simeon Yongu.
The heightened tension follows Hon. Yongu’s alignment with the APC local government chairmen who recently expressed a vote of no confidence in Governor Alia over a week ago.
Hon. Yongu, serving as the local government chairman under Governor Hyacinth Alia, chose to stand with the party against Governor Alia.
Reports had earlier hinted at attempts to leverage the Party’s ward executive to suspend Hon. Yongu for not aligning with Governor Alia in the ongoing dispute involving the suspended priest and the party.
Reacting to the situation, the State Working Committee of the party released a statement through Mr Dan-Morgan Ihomun, the Publicity Secretary.
The statement warned the ward executive committee of Nigev ward against unauthorized meetings, emphasizing that the party had issued a directive mandating approval from the local government executive committee for all ward-level gatherings.The crisis deepened as 30 members of the APC in Nigev ward passed a vote of no confidence on the suspended Vandeikya APC chairman.
The Special Assistant to the Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Benue State, Iortyer Eric, issued a statement, amplifying the turmoil within the party.