Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has said the reconciliation meeting instituted by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has put to rest anxieties within the party in the state.
He stated this on Tuesday shortly after a reconciliation meeting of the party held at the Benue State Government House, Makurdi.
He said he was happy that the leadership of the party made their time to come to the state to ensure peace was restored.
Alia said the outcome of the meeting suspends everything that was drawing the party back, saying the state can now look forward to the gains the meeting will bring.
“The meeting has resolved everything, putting to rest all the anxieties.
“The outcome of the meeting as it is, has brought happiness on the faces of the great men and women in the party, and the party is going to turn a new leaf, which suspends anything that was drawing us back.
“The state can now look forward to the gains the meeting will bring, especially with me as the governor and the SGF, Senator George Akume, at the federal level,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy National Secretary of the APC, Barrister Festus Fuanter, who led the reconciliation team from the National Secretariat, said they were in the state to ensure the return of peace within the party.
He described the meeting as one among many which the National Working Committee of the APC has arranged for all the zones in the country to ensure there is absolute peace, especially in states where there appears to be internal wrangling.
“The meeting is a series of meetings that the National working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has arranged to do in all the zones where there are issues for the leadership to come in and midwife the processes for a harmonious working relationship, and Benue state is not different.
“Whatever it is that was, the outcome of the meeting as can be seen on the faces of the attendees; it means we are going to work together as one indivisible family and that all the loose ends have been tightened. We have agreed amongst ourselves as a family that henceforth, it is a new dawn and that the sky is the limit for the APC,” he said.
Asked who the leader of the party is at the state level, Barrister Fuanter said the constitution of the APC has given the leadership powers at the state level to the Governors.
“The leadership of the party as far as the constitution of the party is concerned is bestowed on the Governor of the state.
”Though we have the SGF from the same state. The SGF is the son of Benue, their working together is a plus and a win-win for Benue State,” he added.
He said the APC will be going into the Guma 1 State Constituency bye-election slated for Saturday, February 3, 2024, as an indivisible front, assuring that the party will come out victorious in the election, winning back the seat.
On his part, the state Chairman of the Party, Hon. Austin Agada, said the party in the state has been yearning for peace, and he was happy that peace has returned within the party.
