There are indications that the governor of Benue state, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia paid the State Working Committee and the twenty three local government chairmen of the All Progressive Congress to escape the party’s axe yesterday.
The state Chairman of the party, Comrade Austin Agada had yesterday called for a meeting of all the thirty six members of the State executive committee with the twenty three local government chairmen of the party.
Sensing that a Vote of no confidence was going to be passed on him by the party excos yesterday, the governor who was on his way out of Makurdi for an official function made a U-turn to attend the meeting of the party’s excos which he was not invited to.
To get a soft landing at the meeting, Governor Alia forced his deputy, Barrister Sam Ode to join him in attending the meeting which was just for the party’s excos in the state and the twenty three local government chairmen of the party.
According to sources who were at the meeting, the governor nearly prostrated for the Austin Agada-led state executive committee to sheath their sword and allow him reign without any distraction.
For Agada and his team to stop the vote of no confidence on Father Alia, the governor was made to commit himself to some conditions.
Part of the deal was that the governor will stop the caretaker chairmen he appointed to stop dabbling into party affairs by suspending members that are perceived as the governor’s enemies.
Apart from his monthly dues which he hasn’t been paying, the governor also agreed to be sending a reasonable amount of money to the state secretariat and all the twenty three local government secretariat of the ruling party every month.
He however gave a cash of N5m to the thirty six members of the state executive committee of the party in addition to the N50,000 he gave to each of the twenty three local government chairmen of the party totaling N1.150milion.
Apart from the financial inducement, Governor Alia also promised state government patronage to Austin Agada and members of his executive committee.
Meanwhile, a source close to the National Assembly Caucus from Benue state hinted Nigerian Concord Newspaper that the battle between the party’s stakeholders and the governor is far from settlement.
Source: Nigerian Concord Newspaper
