Austin Agada, the embattled chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, has said the party will teach Governor Hyacinth Alia a political lesson in the 2027 general elections for allegedly disregarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directives on the party’s primaries.
Agada, who spoke on the Rainbow Coalition movement, Tinubu’s re-election bid and the political situation in Benue State, accused the governor of defying the President’s position on the party’s electoral arrangements in the state.
In this interview in Makurdi, Agada explained the role of the Rainbow Coalition in mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election, while warning that Alia’s chances of securing the coalition’s backing would depend on his willingness to engage with the movement and justify his political ambitions.
Edwin Owoicho Reports.
What is the role of the Rainbow Coalition, particularly in Benue politics, ahead of the 2027 general elections
Like the name implies, the Rainbow Coalition is a voluntary movement comprising registered political parties in the country that have come together in the belief that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be re-elected in 2027.
The movement is under the leadership of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as its president, while I, as the authentic APC chairman in Benue State, serve as its secretary.
The coalition is a plus for my party, the APC. That is why we are standing with it and welcoming other political parties that are willing to support President Tinubu’s re-election.
Is the Rainbow Coalition movement solely about President Tinubu
No. It depends on what individual state governors want to achieve politically.
Any governor who understands the Rainbow Coalition movement and has fulfilled his obligations to the coalition, thereby earning its support for his re-election, stands to benefit from it. The same applies to any governor who wants the coalition to support his preferred successor.
Such a governor can take advantage of the movement to realise his political ambition, provided he meets the necessary conditions.
How many political parties in Benue State have joined the Rainbow Coalition
All the political parties have joined the movement. Do not forget that some of these parties have governorship candidates who originally belonged to the APC.
Is the Coalition working for Governor Hyacinth Alia’s re-election in 2027 too
Governor Alia has not engaged the coalition, and the movement does not know where he stands because he has done nothing to give us a reason to support him.
He has not given us any reason to believe that he deserves the support of the coalition or even his own party, the APC, for his re-election in 2027.
When he gives us reasons to support him, we will consider them. If we have questions to ask him, we will ask. Otherwise, Governor Alia should forget about getting our support.
With the 2027 elections approaching, does this mean the Benue APC has no governorship candidate to present
As you know, the APC is doing everything possible to ensure that it presents a candidate in the 2027 governorship election in Benue State.
The process has been initiated, and President Tinubu made a proposal concerning the state. He directed that all incumbent elected officials who won their positions on the platform of the APC should be allowed to seek re-election in 2027.
The President gave this directive under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. The SGF also told the governor that nobody should say no to the President.
We accepted the President’s proposal, but Governor Alia rejected it and brought forward other aspirants who contested against the President’s directive.
Even when the APC national leadership wanted to enforce the decision, Alia allegedly pushed Senator Gabriel Suswam and others to take the party to court.
The governor has shown no respect for President Tinubu or the APC national chairman. For this reason, the party will teach him a lesson in 2027.
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