Benue deputy gov disowns leaked APC communiqué after peace meeting

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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

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

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

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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.

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“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.

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

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“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.

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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.

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