Benue deputy gov disowns leaked APC communiqué after peace meeting

The Benue State Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, has dismissed claims surrounding a communiqué issued after the All Progressives Congress reconciliation meeting in the state, insisting that signatures attached to the document were not authorised.

The meeting, held in Benue State, reportedly ended with disagreement over a communiqué allegedly affirming an automatic ticket arrangement for party members ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, Ode, who chaired the communiqué drafting committee, told journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday that the version circulated in newspapers was not the approved final document.

He alleged that the document was altered after the draft had been forwarded to Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, for review.

“At the end of the conclusion of our meeting, a draft of what we did was sent to the Governor of Benue State for him to vet, make his inputs and send approval to us to do a clean copy,” he said.

He added that a separate copy was also sent through the Minister of Water Resources to the SGF for input.

Ode further claimed that no member of the drafting committee signed the communiqué in the form circulated publicly.

“Nobody can show you a document where we said we attached our signatures as a signature to that draft committee,” he said.

He explained that only attendance records were taken, adding that signatures of the governor and SGF were meant to appear only on the final approved version.

“It is the signature of the Governor of Benue State and that of the SGF, who is a co-convener, that will be on the final copy of the communique as authorising officers,” he said.

Ode also denied reports that the committee discussed or endorsed automatic tickets for National Assembly or State Assembly members.

“At no time in our communique did we mention the word automatic ticket for National Assembly members, State Assembly members, or anybody for that matter,” he said.

The clarification comes amid reported disagreement between the SGF and the governor over the alleged automatic ticket arrangement, a claim that has stirred political tension within the state APC structure.