The former Legal Adviser of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Barrister O.M. Omale Omale, has urged President Bola Tinubu and the APC’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, to urgently address the alleged imbalance against the Apa Local Government Area (LGA) component of the Apa/Agatu Federal Constiruency in the state.
Omale, also a former Benue Commissioner for Power, Renewable Energy and Transport, said if the political exclusion is not adressed in line with the sanctity of the zoning agreement in the constituency before the 2027 general elections, it will jeopardise the electoral fortune of the party.
He spoke in a petition he personally signed on behalf of the aggrieved APC’s members in the constituency and addessed to the party’s national chairman and President Tinubu.
A copy of the petition was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
“The National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, let me avail us the timetable of political occupation of the Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency seat from 1999 – 2027 for ease of understanding and appreciation of our appeal.”
He said from 1999 to 2011, Rt. Hon. (Engr.) Solomon Agidani from Agatu LGA held the seat for 12 years; from 2011 to 2019, Rt. Hon. Adamu Entonu from Apa LGA represented the constituency for eight years; from 2019 to 2023, Hon. Godday Odagboyi Samuel from Agatu LGA held the seat for four years while Hon. Ojotu Ojema from Agatu LGA, elected in 2023, will hold the seat till 2027.
His words: “From the above therefore, from 1999 – 2027, the seat of Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency is occupied for a period of 20 years by the people of Agatu Local Government Area and just 8 years by her counterpart of Apa Local Government Area.
“This difference and imbalance is much, unjust, unfair and inequitable in the circumstance.
“If not redressed, it will jeopardise the electoral fortune of our party, the APC, who has foisted a candidate who himself, was never a member of our party until sometime around the 10th day of November, 2025 and with the instrumentality of a traditional over-lord, misled the Governor and the party leadership in Benue State against the zoning agreement of our people and its attendant political backlash on the victory of our political party, APC, and the re-election of Mr. President whose candidacy is already at home with our people.”
Omale drew attention to the 2010 zoning agreement by leadership of Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency for ease of reference.
He said this was evidence by all other political parties zoning their 2027 House of Representative tickets to Apa Local Government component of the Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency except the APC.
“This prolonged imbalance is gradually creating feelings of exclusion and resentment that threatens the unity which the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that of our party, APC, and the administration Mr. President advocates.
“This appeal is made in the spirit of fairness, equity, justice and good conscience to which your timely intervention is called in aid to promote political inclusion and balance.
“And unless this imbalance is addressed now, to allow for the Apa turn in honour of the zoning agreement by our party, we may not be responsible for the electoral misfortune that may happen to APC in the Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency come 2027 general elections,” Omale said.