By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia and the State Working Committee of the All Progressive Congress, APC, have confounded their detractors by pledging their loyalty to the party and agreeing to work together for the greatness of the state.
Governor Alia who rode into the Party’s State Secretariat on JS Tarkaa way Thursday evening accompanied by his Deputy, Barr. Sam Odeh and top government officials told journalists after a close door meeting that, his presence at the Tinubu House (Secretariat of the party) was for “a meeting of appreciation” with State working committee of the APC after the confirmation of his election by the Supreme Court.
He said the meeting was to correct certain ills and frivolities going round on the social media, and that the Chairman was able to make pronouncements concerning the suspension of certain persons in the party.
Gov. Alia noted that, “the primary thing is to give us a good sense of oneness in a unity of purpose. When we come together, we become more of a force to do anything we intend to do and more so, we have a number of projects and wouldn’t want any distractions from any angle to stop it”.
Describing the meeting as “very fruitful”, the Governor declared that himself and the State Working Committee had “pledged our loyalty to APC and that no one is leaving the APC but will be working for the greatness of the party in Benue State”.
Benue State Chairman of APC, Hon. Austin Agada said the State Working Committee had earlier passed a confidence vote on the governor and his deputy.
“We have total confidence in the ability of Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, his Deputy, Barr. Sam Odeh, to fine tune the fortunes of the state from where we have found ourselves as a people. We will give him every necessary support to succeed in this assignment”, the Chairman said.
Speaking further, Hon. Agada pointed out that, “every suspension action taken by any state chapter of the party stands nullified. We must stand together behind the governor to succeed for our party and the greatness of the state and Nigeria as a whole”.
The reassurance by Governor Alia and the State Working Committee of the APC Thursday put paid to the mutual distrust that brewed accusations of gross undermine of the party’s leadership by the governor in the past six months.
