Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A fresh political storm has engulfed the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the sole governorship aspirant of the Labour Party (LP) in the state, Dr. Mathias Terwase Byuan, publicly accused his former party of falsely listing him among aspirants cleared for its governorship primary. In a strongly worded statement personally signed on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Byuan described his inclusion in the list released earlier that day as "mischief, false, misleading and unauthorised," insisting that he had resigned his membership of the APC and formally withdrawn his gubernatorial ambition under the ruling party long before the list was published. The APC is currently conducting its governorship primaries across the 23 local government areas of Benue State, but Byuan, now the sole aspirant on the Labour Party platform, called on the Benue populace, his former party, the LP and the Nigerian public to disregard any information linking him to the exercise.
According to Byuan, his official resignation from the APC took effect on May 7, 2026, when he submitted a formal letter to his Council Ward Chairman. The following day, May 8, 2026, he transmitted a copy of the same letter to the National Chairman of the APC, an action he claims was received and duly acknowledged by the party's national leadership. "To ensure proper service and avoid any denial, I forwarded a copy of the resignation letter via DHL to the party," he added, a move that underscores the former APC stalwart's meticulous effort to ensure his defection was legally and procedurally watertight. Beyond his resignation, Byuan also submitted a formal "Letter of Voluntary Withdrawal" with Notary Public attestation to the APC's governorship Screening Committee, explicitly withdrawing his candidacy for the party's ticket in writing.
The politician's departure from the APC in early May was a political earthquake in Benue State. Before his defection, Byuan had been the Executive Director of Housing, Finance and Accounts at the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in Abuja, an appointment made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was also a known political associate of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, a towering political figure in Benue. Byuan's decision to join the Labour Party came after he had already purchased the APC's expression of interest and nomination forms to challenge the incumbent governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, in the 2027 election. He was officially received into the Labour Party on May 9, 2026, by the federal lawmaker representing the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Hon. Philip Agbese, who described the move as a major boost for the party.
Byuan's press statement went further, releasing a trove of supporting documents that are now in the public domain. These include his letter of APC membership resignation to his ward chairman, the letter of voluntary withdrawal with notary public attestation submitted to the National Chairman, his formal withdrawal of candidacy to the Chairman of the APC Screening Committee, and crucially, the Certificate of Screening already issued to him by the Labour Party Screening Committee. Byuan explained that he has already completed the Labour Party's screening process and is now awaiting the party's primaries scheduled for May 30, 2026.
Despite the acrimonious split from the ruling party, Byuan has made a remarkable and politically complex pledge: he is fully committed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election in 2027. At the Labour Party national secretariat on May 15, 2026, flanked by dozens of other aspirants who bought various nomination forms, Byuan publicly declared his unwavering support for the president. "Though I am contesting for governorship under the Labour Party, my presidential candidate remains President Tinubu. I align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president," he said. He argued that the president's transformative agenda had yielded notable developmental projects, including some in Benue, and deserved a second term.
In a direct message to his supporters, Byuan called on them to vote for President Tinubu of the APC for the presidency while voting for him and other Labour Party candidates for other elective posts in Benue State. This unusual electoral call—asking voters to split their ballot in support of a rival party's presidential candidate while supporting his own LP platform—has added a new layer of intrigue to the 2027 political calculations in the state. Byuan also did not spare the incumbent governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia. He accused the state government of poor governance, insecurity, and failing to meet critical obligations, including the regular payment of workers' salaries, which he said had led to a statewide strike by health and local government workers.
The APC has not officially responded to the allegations of "mischief" and has yet to explain why Byuan's name was erroneously included in its list of cleared aspirants. However, the release of the list has added to the chaos and confusion that have characterised the party's primary processes across several states. Byuan insists he is not bound by any resolution or process relating to the APC primaries, and he has attached documentary evidence to his statement to prove it.
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