Crisis is brewing within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections, following the rejection by one of the senatorial aspirants, Daniel Onyirofie Onjeh, of the alleged endorsement of former lawmaker Francis Ottah Agbo as the party’s preferred candidate for Benue South.
DAILY POST reports that the APC is conducting its senatorial primaries across the country today, with Benue South among the key districts expected to produce candidates for the 2027 elections.
However, reports emerged on Saturday night that a political ally of Governor Hyacinth Alia, Prince Moses Ternenge, had allegedly thrown his weight behind Ottah Agbo as the preferred aspirant for the Benue South senatorial ticket.
Ottah Agbo, a former member of the House of Representatives, defected to the APC after losing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ticket in 2022.
His defection later paved the way for Philip Agbese to emerge under the APC before eventually moving to the Labour Party.
Reacting to the development, Onjeh, in a video posted on his Facebook page, faulted what he described as interference by Prince Moses Ternenge, a politician from Benue North East Senatorial District (Zone A), in the political affairs of Benue South Senatorial District (Zone C).
According to him, Benue South has enough qualified individuals capable of determining its political direction without outside influence.
“Prince Moses Ternenge, a Tiv man from Benue North East, Zone A, cannot impose a senatorial candidate on Benue South, Zone C, with its array of professors and academic doctors,” Onjeh said.
The APC chieftain also took a swipe at an unnamed aspirant allegedly being projected as an “anointed candidate” within the party.
He accused the aspirant of defecting from the PDP to the APC without bringing any political structure or grassroots support.
“Even more ridiculous is the claim by some aspirants that somebody is the anointed candidate. The person came solely to APC without a single follower from his former party, PDP, and hopes to reap where he did not sow,” he stated.
Onjeh further argued that political structures and followership built over the years should not be undermined in the contest for the Benue South senatorial ticket.
“You cannot come and rest on the followership that others have built over the years to run the senatorial race,” he added.
Crisis hits Benue APC as Onjeh rejects Ottah’s endorsement as consensus candidate