Former Attorney-General of the Federation Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, has asserted that Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia’s 2023 election victory was made possible by the political machinery of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Aondoakaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stressed that Governor Alia, a Catholic priest with no prior political structure, depended entirely on Akume’s established group—which includes two senators and nine House of Representatives members—to secure the governorship.
Aondoakaa framed the assertion within a broader argument for strict party discipline and respect for the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) decisions. He contended that the APC functions as a nationally organised party where unity and loyalty are paramount. “Where there’s a decision of NEC of the party, it does appear to everybody that that decision should be respected,” he stated, adding that parties worldwide “cherish discipline.”
According to Aondoakaa, Benue State’s political forces cannot operate in isolation from the party’s national framework. He warned that internal factionalism and pressure groups within the state chapter must not be allowed to disrupt the party’s prospects in future elections, particularly the 2027 governorship contest. “Benue cannot be an isolation from other states,” he said, urging that disputes should not “distort the chances of the party in the forthcoming election.”
The commentary highlights the ongoing tension between Governor Alia’s administration and segments of the state APC loyal to Akume, a former governor and influential party leader. Aondoakaa’s remarks underscore a foundational challenge for the APC in Benue: reconciling the governor’s legitimacy, which stemmed from an external political alliance, with the imperative of building a cohesive, disciplined state party structure aligned with national directives.
The significance of this dynamic extends beyond Benue. As the APC looks to consolidate its national position ahead of the next election cycle, managing state-level conflicts and ensuring that newly elected officials adhere to party hierarchies will test the organisation’s cohesion. Aondoakaa’s intervention serves as a reminder from a prominent party elder that electoral success, once achieved, is expected to translate into unwavering loyalty to the party’s established machinery and its national leadership.
