By Daniel Aondoaseer 

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume has appealed for unity within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State following concerns over the conduct of recent party primaries.

Speaking in Makurdi on Friday, Akume acknowledged reported grievances within the party and urged supporters to remain calm ahead of the APC presidential primary.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has called for unity within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State following controversies surrounding the party’s state, National Assembly and State Assembly primaries.

Akume made the remarks while speaking with journalists at the Makurdi Airport on Friday amid reports that some party members expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the primaries, which were reportedly marred by irregularities.

The SGF said maintaining unity within the party remained his priority, stressing that APC leaders who founded the party did not envisage internal divisions.

“What I want to say is this: I want the APC to be a united family. This was how we intended it to be. Those of us who were founding fathers of the party, we don’t want factions in our party,” he stated.

According to reports, the camp of Hyacinth Alia recorded significant victories during the National Assembly and State Assembly primary elections conducted across the state.

Akume acknowledged that there were grievances among party stakeholders but maintained that issues would be addressed at the appropriate time.

He also said his visit to Benue was part of efforts to mobilise support for the APC presidential primary election scheduled for Saturday.

The SGF urged party supporters in the state to participate in the exercise and reaffirmed support for Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election cycle.

Akume further expressed optimism that the upcoming exercise would be conducted differently from previous primaries.

“I want to believe that there will be no diversion of materials,” he said while appealing to party members not to dwell on earlier controversies.

The APC primaries in Benue have attracted attention following complaints from some stakeholders over the process, although official responses on the allegations remain limited at the time of reporting.