A major political realignment has shaken the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the conclusion of the party’s National Assembly senatorial primaries, which produced several high-profile upsets across the state’s three districts.
At the APC secretariat in Makurdi on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, delegates and party officials confirmed former Governor Gabriel Torwua Suswam as the winner of the Benue North-East senatorial ticket, unseating the incumbent senator in a landslide result.
In another significant upset in Benue North-West, Benjamin Aber, a retired Customs officer and husband of the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Joseph Alakali, also clinched the APC senatorial ticket after defeating the sitting lawmaker.
The outcomes have reshaped the internal power structure of the ruling party in the state, setting up a fresh wave of political competition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In Benue North-East (Zone A), Suswam dominated the direct primary held across nine local government areas, securing 131,083 votes to defeat his closest rival, Cephas Tushima, who polled 4,424 votes. The incumbent senator, Emmanuel Memga Udende, suffered a crushing defeat with just 1,364 votes.
The result marks a dramatic political comeback for Suswam, who previously governed the state and has now reasserted influence within the APC structure in the zone.
In Benue North-West (Zone B), covering seven local government areas including Gboko, Tarka, Guma, and Buruku, Aber emerged victorious with 93,412 votes, defeating incumbent Senator Titus Zam, who managed 2,763 votes.
The defeat of two sitting senators in the primaries has triggered widespread political reactions within the state, with observers describing the outcome as one of the most significant internal disruptions in the APC’s recent history in Benue.
In Benue South (Zone C), Chief Isaac Ottah secured the party’s senatorial ticket after emerging victorious in a competitive primary race, completing the APC’s lineup for the senatorial contests.
The APC Primary Election Committee, chaired by Sabiu Saidu Mahuta, described the exercise as peaceful and transparent, noting that the direct primary system reflected the genuine choice of party members across the state.
“The election was peaceful, free, and fair,” Mahuta said while announcing the results. “The candidates with the highest number of valid votes have been duly declared winners.”
With the conclusion of the primaries, attention has now shifted to the task of managing internal party tensions, as the Benue APC leadership under Governor Hyacinth Alia moves to consolidate unity following the removal of two sitting senators and the emergence of new flagbearers across the state.
