Akume’s wife, Mark’s daughter pick Benue APC Reps tickets

The camp of Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has defeated the camp of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, in the House of Representatives primaries held across the state on Saturday.

The chairman of the National Assembly Primary Election Committee in Benue State, Alhaji Sabiu Mahuta, announced the results on Sunday at the party secretariat in Makurdi.

According to the results, Ojotu Ojema, a serving member of the House of Representatives from Apa/Agatu, picked the ticket. Others are Terfa Ikper, who picked the Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency ticket; Gideon Inyom, who won Buruku Federal Constituency; Engr Terhemba Nongo, who won Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency; and Professor Kohol Iormem, who won the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency.

Others are Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency, which was won by another serving member of the House of Representatives, Solomon Wombo; Livinus Tsar, who picked the Vandeikya/Konshisha ticket; Dr Peter Ogbodo, who won the Oju/Obi Federal Constituency; and Anthony Agom, who picked the Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency ticket.

They are all supporters of the state governor, Hyacinth Alia.

Among SGF supporters who lost the primaries are Dzua Yortyom of Buruku Federal Constituency, Dickson Tarkighir of Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, Austin Achado from Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency, and Sesoo Ikpacher from Konshisha/Vandeikya Federal Constituency.

Others who are serving members but lost the primaries are Terseer Ugbor, representing Kwande/Ushongo, and David Ogewo, representing Oju/Obi Federal Constituency.

Meanwhile, the wife of the SGF, Mrs Regina Akume, also a serving member of the House of Representatives for Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency, won the primary.

In the same vein, a serving member of the House of Representatives for Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency, Blessing Onuh, daughter of the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress, David Mark, who contested alongside three other aspirants, won the primary election.

The development has shattered the directive on automatic tickets, which the SGF said was ordered by President Bola Tinubu.

Senator George Akume had, during a peace and reconciliation meeting held in Makurdi a few weeks ago, said the President directed that all serving members of the state and National Assembly, including the governor, be given automatic tickets.

But in a swift response, the governor said the issue of automatic tickets was beyond him and the SGF, and stressed that both the President and the national chairman of the party, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, had insisted there would be no automatic ticket for any aspirant in the primary election.