From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
A former senate president, Ameh Ebute, has backed the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hycinth Alia over the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
He accused two senators from Zones A and B senatorial districts of Benue State and a member of the House of Representatives representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, of constituting themselves into the so-called National Assembly Caucus and giving the impression that the Benue State Governor was rejecting the peace move by President Bola Tinubu.
Ebute, in a statement, said the two senators and the House of Representatives member got their candidatures and elections to the National Assembly by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) when he was the leader of the party in Benue State.
He further said that having been elected to the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, he expected them to sponsor bills and carry out oversight functions that would lead to the development of their constituencies particularly and Nigeria generally.
“I do not expect them to constitute themselves into a so-called National Assembly Caucus of only three (3) and distract the attention of the Benue State Chief Executive. In all states of the federation where a particular political party produces the governor, the governor is the leader of that party in the state.
“We, elders and party members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, have advised the governor not to allow the sharing of party leadership functions with any other government official no matter how highly placed,” Ebute said.
The former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the National Open University Governing Council, further said it was not the issue of the governor respecting peace moves by the President, but the issue of standing by the rules of the general practice of the presidential system of government, whereby the president of the country is the ultimate leader of the party in the country, while governors are the leaders of the party in their states.
“Finally, I advise the national leadership of the APC led by Dr Abdullahi Ganduje to invite all elders of the APC, including me to advise them appropriately,” Ebute also said.