Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, have disagreed over the key outcomes of their high-level reconciliation meeting within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Our correspondent reports that the meeting held on Sunday under tight security for about three hours at the Government House in Makurdi.
The reconciliation effort followed strained relationships between Alia and Akume a development that led to two factions within the ruling party.
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Akume who spoke with journalists at the end of the closed door session revealed that the governor apologised over actions that may have deepened divisions within the party.
"The governor said he was sorry which is very good. All those elected on the platform of the APC, from the state Assembly to the National Assembly must still come back. It's automatic, they must come back and Father must return to us. Those are the issues we discussed," Akume said.
However, Alia pushed back on claims suggesting automatic ticket or endorsements as he clarified on the sidelines of the meeting that no such resolution was reached and distancing the party in the state from that position.
"The resolution is beyond both of us. The party at the national level, including the President and National Chairman, has made it clear there is no automatic ticket," the governor said, describing Akume's remarks as an "appeal" rather than a binding decision.
Alia maintained that the essence of the meeting was reconciliation and collective progress, noting that his apology was a deliberate step taken in his capacity as a party leader to heal grievances.
Corroborating the reconciliatory tone, former governor Gabriel Suswam said the engagement was less about individuals and more about restoring unity, even as he disclosed that a committee had been constituted to work out the details for implementation.
Senator Emmanuel Udende while also speaking with journalists about the outcome of the meeting, confirmed that peace was a central resolution, noting that both leaders made reconciliatory gestures, including the governor's apology.
