POLITICS
Benue Minority Leader, Others Defect to APC, Endorse Tinubu, Alia for Second Term
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Minority Leader of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mike Audu, and thousands of members of opposition parties in Otukpo Local Government Area have officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Otukpo is the traditional headquarters of Idoma kingdom in Benue South senatorial district where the incumbent deputy governor of the State comes from.
The decamping ceremony was held at the St. Mary Primary School in Otukpo Local Government Area of the State, attracting a massive crowd from across the thirteen council wards.
Speaking at the event, Zone C APC leader and deputy governor of the State Barr.Sam Odeh, who officially accepted the defectors into the ruling party, promised them equal treatment and full integration.
He stated that APC remains a big party that is accommodating everyone including those with disability, adding that those who have joined the party should know that there is no senior or junior as the party was built on the principle of equality with a platform that promotes winnings.
All of you who have come to join this party in your numbers, your equality of membership is guaranteed.
He maintained that the government of governor Hyacinth Alia is building roads across the whole of zone c.
“If you go to Igumale, we are constructing a road from Igumale to Agila worth N19bn. If you go from Obagaji to Okokolo, all the way to Agagbe, we are building a road that is worth N29bn. From Oju to Awanjir, we are also constructing a road that is worth N26bn. So, all the roads we are building in the State are worth N87bn. If anybody is deceiving you that Zone C is marginalised, the person is a liar. I cannot be in the government and this zone would be marginalised. It is not possible.
“I want to assure you that, working together with the State chairman of the party, whatever that would come to us, must come to us. Come 2027, we will still present ourselves because of the good work. Those decamped today have demonstrated their love for Fr. Alia and President Ahmed Tinubu. I challenge myself. Those who are saying that the APC is going down, they should know that APC is going up.
“Therefore, by the power vested in me as the leader of APC in this zone and on behalf of the executive governor of the State moved for endorsement of president Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Rev. Fr. Alia for a second term in office”, the deputy governor stated.
He reaffirmed Governor Hyacinth Alia’s continued commitment in delivering good governance, ensuring equity, transparency, and people-centered development across board.
Speaking before handing over the new members to the deputy governor, the State chairman of APC. Chief Benjamin Omale, maintained that the mass movement of opposition members into the APC, is a reflection of trust, unity, and the collective aspiration for continued growth and development of Benue and Nigeria.
He added that the defection marks a major political realignment and renewed hope and faith in the developmental strides of the present administration.
Chief Omale added that the decamping exercise going on across the 23 LGAs was a clear testament to the people’s confidence in the purposeful leadership and vision of Governor Hyacinth Alia who is working with passion and without discrimination.
“I urge the new party members, especially the youths and women, to take active part in the democratic process by obtaining your Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), this is because voting power remains the strongest tool for sustaining democracy and ensuring that good governance is realized”.
”I want to assure the people of Otukpo and Idoma land that the Alia-led administration will continue to prioritize infrastructural development, education, healthcare, agricultural support, job creation, and youth empowerment initiatives in order to improve the living standards of every citizen”, Omale maintained.
In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for finance, Mike Oglegba commended the decampees, saying they have made a good decision by coming to join Governor Alia in his quest to develop the state.
He highlighted the good works of the Governor whom he said, is determined to put smiles on the faces of the people of the state.
In his remark, the executive chairman of Otukpo local government council, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, said the decamping by Otukpo people was a testament of the good works of governor Alia and commended them for the bold initiative and assured that their decision would not be in vain.
Speaking in his capacity and on behalf of the defectors, the former minority leader, Mike Audu explained that his decision to join the ruling APC was influenced by the leadership style of the State governor and assured that they will work with other stakeholders of the party to bring unity, peace and tranquility within the party.
By David Torough, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the removal of petrol subsidy, accusing the administration of worsening economic hardship while retaining what he described as opaque costs in the petroleum sector.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Tinubu was wrong to describe his proposed petroleum-sector intervention as economically ignorant.
Atiku argued that the economic conditions that existed before Tinubu assumed office had changed significantly following the removal of fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira and rising inflation.
He said his proposal was not a return to the previous open-ended subsidy regime but a targeted, capped, budgeted and time-bound production-support mechanism that would be independently audited and linked to domestic production.
According to him, the government removed the benefit of subsidy from consumers while allegedly retaining substantial petroleum-sector under-recoveries and energy-security costs.
The statement cited figures from NNPC’s audited accounts, claiming approximately ₦17.5 trillion in energy-security costs and petroleum under-recoveries, including about ₦7.13 trillion classified as energy security and ₦8.67 trillion in under-recoveries.
“If subsidy is dead, why are under-recoveries alive?” Atiku asked, arguing that Nigerians had been left with higher costs while questions about government expenditure remained unresolved.
He also rejected the Presidency’s argument that increased Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements to states represented a major benefit of subsidy removal.
Atiku said higher allocations to state governments should not be celebrated if they came at the expense of household purchasing power, citing rising transport costs, food prices and production expenses.
He further argued that increased FAAC allocations could encourage states to depend on federal transfers instead of expanding their productive economies, attracting investment and broadening their internally generated revenues.
The former vice president also demanded explanations for what he described as approximately ₦30 trillion in Federation Account revenues, deductions, savings and transfers, as well as ₦12.8 trillion allocated to the Service-Wide Vote in the 2026 budget.
Atiku said the administration should provide greater transparency over its finances rather than dismissing criticism of its economic policies.
He maintained that the success of economic reform should not be measured solely by rising government revenues while citizens experience declining purchasing power.
“The real ignorance is believing suffering is economic policy,” Atiku said.
He accused the Tinubu administration of transferring the burden of fiscal adjustment to ordinary Nigerians and warned against subjecting the country to another four years of what he called a failed economic experiment.
The statement was signed by Shaibu on behalf of Atiku, the 1999–2007 vice president and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has cautioned Nigerian youths against being used for political violence, misinformation and digital intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections across the country.
Disu gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja during the National Youth Leadership and Security Dialogue organised by the Nigeria Police Force to commemorate the 2026 International Youth Day celebration.
According to him, as we approach the 2027 electoral cycle, I urge you to remember a very simple, but profound reality that politicians contest elections, but you leave with consequences thereafter.
”He said that political actors often reconciled after elections, in spite of fierce campaigns, and might later become allies and guests of one another when political disagreements were resolved amicably over time.
Disu said the Nigeria Police Force recognised and respected the rights of youths to participate in politics, support parties, express opinions and campaign freely for candidates of their choice.
“Our responsibility is to create a security environment in which these democratic rights can be experienced freely and safely.
“We will protect citizens, facilitate peaceful campaigns, secure candidates, campaign venues and public spaces within the law.
“We will protect the integrity of the electoral environment, but will not protect violence, tolerate the recruitment or mobilisation of young Nigerians for political violence.
“I therefore appeal to everybody to be cautious as we approach the 2027 electoral process,” Disu said, urging collective responsibility in safeguarding peace and democratic values across Nigeria.
The police chief also urged youths to become drivers of national transformation rather than instruments of destruction through the spread of false information and harmful online content.
According to him, every young Nigerian using a smartphone should recognise that digital activities leave permanent records that could influence opportunities and shape future prospects significantly.
“You know now, the moment you go to the embassies for your visa, they are checking you on social media to see what and what you are doing.
“So, your footprints are very important, so before you forward a message, verify it and before you publish or circulate, establish the facts,” he advised youths nationwide.
The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) has called for immediate prosecution of all those found to have committed electoral crimes during last Saturday’s Osun governorship election.
The organisation, in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Dr Yemisi Bamgbose in Abuja on Thursday, said that the prosecution would serve as a deterrent to others.
Bamgbose also congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of a transparent, free, fair and credible governorship election in the state.
According to him, INEC, under Prof.
Joash Amupitan, has passed the real litmus test in Osun.He said that the outcome of the election, if improved upon, could serve as a model for subsequent elections in the country.
“INEC deserves commendation for deploying all that was required to ensure the realisation of a free and fair election,” he said.
Bamgbose also commended security agencies for providing adequate security which, he said, helped to minimise tension and criminality during the election.
“It is imperative that INEC ensures the prosecution of all persons who perpetrated electoral crimes to serve as a deterrent to others.
“We therefore call on INEC and other relevant agencies to ensure strict enforcement of electoral laws and prosecution of all offenders,” Bamgbose said.
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