Benue APC Crisis: Sule Seeks Ganduje’s Intervention

Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has sought the intervention of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, towards resolving the lingering crisis engulfing the party in Benue State.

Governor Sule, who is the chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, made this appeal when he visited the national secretariat of the party in Abuja at the weekend.

According to him, “In my capacity as chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum in the zone, I deem it necessary to seek the intervention of the father of the party in order to put to rest the lingering crisis in the party in Benue State.

“In the North Central, we have a state where there are issues here and there. We have plenty discussions on that and we want the national chairman to also intervene, as well as the National Working Committee to intervene in order for us to resolve those issues.

“North Central has five out of six APC governors. For that reason, we need to strengthen our zone. We cannot afford to have any kind of disagreement in our zone.”

Governor Sule expressed his conviction that Ganduje, a former deputy governor and former governor has the pedigree to resolve the Benue State APC impasse.

“I have no doubt that if there is any gentleman that can work to resolve that matter is no other than Ganduje, a former deputy governor and former governor. For that reason, I came to pay my respect to the father of the party and the NWC,” he added.

Sule said he was also at the national secretariat of the party to pay respect to the national chairman, who he said deserves respect and cooperation, especially as the APC gears towards participating in the scheduled governorship election in Edo State.

“In the next couple of weeks, we have an election in Edo State. The man does not need to be distracted in any other way so that we can go and win our election in Edo. That is one of the reasons why I came to encourage him to be focused,” he stated.

Governor Sule used the opportunity of the visit to call on his APC colleague governors to endeavour to pay regular visits to the national secretariat of the party in order not to be seen as visitors in a house they all worked hard to build.

In his response, the APC National Chairman, Ganduje, appreciated Governor Sule for the visit, especially that there were controversies in the party in Benue State.

Ganduje said he wanted the APC to be a strong institution that would back the ruling government, as well as an institution that would ensure internal democracy.

He, however, warned that with him in charge at the helm of affairs of the party, it was no longer business as usual.