Benue APC peace meeting did not endorse automatic tickets – Dep Gov.

Emmanuel Antswen

The Benue State Government has refuted claims that the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ reconciliation meeting endorsed automatic tickets for political office holders.

The disclaimer was signed by Deputy Governor/Chairman Communiqué Drafting Committee Dr Sam Ode and made available to journalists on Tuesday in Makurdi.

According to Ode, the resolutions circulating in some national dailies did not originate from the official communiqué drafting committee.

The deputy governor explained that the committee only prepared a draft for review by Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume.

He stated that the draft did not contain any provision for automatic tickets.

“The resolutions published in some national dailies did not emanate from the communiqué-drafting committee headed by the Deputy Governor of Benue State.

“The committee only produced a draft for the governor and the secretary to the government of the Federation for their input and approval.

“There was nowhere in the draft where automatic tickets for any category of aspirants were mentioned,” he said.

He added that any valid communiqué arising from the meeting must be authorised and signed by the governor and the SGF, not the drafting committee.

Ode further clarified that the signatures used in the advertorial were misrepresented, noting that they were merely signatures of attendance at the communiqué drafting committee meeting.

“The authorising signatures for any communiqué would be those of the governor and the SGF. The signatures used in the advertorial were those of attendance and not approval,” he said.

The deputy governor described the publication as misleading and potentially harmful to ongoing reconciliation efforts within the APC in the state.

He reaffirmed that the party’s agreed position was to adopt direct primaries for candidate selection, stressing that the drafting committee had no authority to issue an official communiqué.

“Whoever sponsored the publication is doing a disservice to the governor, the SGF, the APC family, and the spirit of the ongoing reconciliation process.

“It is on record that at the meeting, the National Vice Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Muhammed Muazu Bawa, clearly stated that the party would adopt direct primaries for nominating candidates,” he said.

Ode reiterated that only the conveners of the meeting, Gov. Alia, and the SGF, Sen. Akume, have the authority to approve and sign any official communiqué (NAN)