Benue APC Elders' Forum endorses Tinubu for 2027, pass confidence vote on Akume, Agada ..as Benue South now have 510-man Elders' Forum

By Johnson Arua

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Benue South Senatorial District weekend inaugurated a 510-member Elders’ Forum comprising five respected elders selected from each of the 102 Council Wards that make up the zone.

In an event described by political observers  as the “mother of all political movements” ahead of the 2027 general elections, the APC stalwarts who came out in the thousands, endorsed President Bola Tinubu for second term in office and also passed a vote of confidence on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and the Benue State Chairman of APC, Comrade Austin Agada.

The event which held in Otukpo headquarters of Benue South, drew political heavyweights, party executives from Council Wards, Local Governments, the zonal and state structures, as well as thousands of APC loyalists.

Performing the inauguration, the Benue South Zonal Chairman of the APC, Bishop Pinot Ogbaji, said the Elders’ Forum was conceived to strengthen internal cohesion, restore confidence within the party, and provide strategic guidance in a political atmosphere he described as “needlessly destabilized by avoidable rancor.”

He noted that the forum would serve as a stabilising bloc, ensuring that the party’s collective interest is protected amid what stakeholders called the “political missteps and divisive posture” of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Speaking on the state of the party, leaders recounted the difficult journey of the APC in Benue prior to 2023 when the party held none of the major elective positions in the state.

They recalled how "the APC, under the leadership of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and the State Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada, mobilised from ground zero to deliver the President, the Governor, two Senate seats, 10 out of 11 seats in the House of Representatives, and 23 out of 30 seats in the State Assembly."

The Stakeholders expressed concern that the governor’s current disposition toward the party structures is threatening the unity that produced that historic victory.

In his speech, Chairman of the Elders’ Forum, Hon. Agbo Ogah said the forum would work to keep the APC firmly rooted in Benue South, provide moral direction to younger politicians, and “stand as a bulwark against tendencies that weaken party discipline.”

He said the elders were aware of the murmurs across the state regarding the governor’s style of governance and his alleged indifference to party supremacy, assuring the gathering that the elders would “not watch the house we built together drift into avoidable crisis.”

Delivering the goodwill message of the SGF, the State Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada reminded the audience that the APC’s strength lies in its unity and loyalty to its national leadership.

He urged members to remain resolute in their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing key federal appointments given to sons and daughters of Benue South and the President’s infrastructural and socioeconomic interventions across the state.

Agada stated that the overwhelming turnout at the event reflected confidence in the Akume-led leadership and he is very optimistic that the political capital would again translate into overwhelming victories in 2027.

The Elders’ Forum thereafter formally endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election and passed a unanimous vote of confidence on Senator Akume as the leader of the APC in Benue and the entire North Central region.

The forum also passed a vote of confidence on Comrade Austin Agada, who they described as “the engine room, bridge-builder, and rallying spirit holding the party together in challenging times.”

Some notable figures inaugurated into the forum included Hon. Ralph Igbago, Hon. David Idoko, RT Hon Barr James Ochojila, Comrade Abba Yaro, Chief Sylva Ameh, Prof. Christopher Ebute, Hon. Mathias Oyigeya, Hon. Adamu Entonu, Prof. John Enyi, Barr. Onazi, Hon Joshua Saleh, Ochapa, Hon. Jacob Ajene, Prof Mrs Christy Ekoja, Hon. Joshua Saleh, and Arc. Anthony Obekpa, Lady Kate Ijogi, Hon Mrs Susan Abuh, among several others.

Also in attendance or represented through goodwill messages were leading aspirants; Dr. Mathias Byuan, Barr. Pius Akutah, Arc. Anthony Obekpa, Hon. Nick Wende, Chief Michael Aondokaa SAN, Hon. Philip Haruna, Hon. Mercy Abutu, among others who expressed solidarity and support for the renewed unity in Benue South APC.

The ceremony ended with renewed optimism among party loyalists who described the gathering as a turning point toward rekindling unity, discipline, and preparedness for future electoral battles.