Speech by the Chairman, State Congress: All Progressives Congress (APC) Makurdi, Tuesday March 3rd. 2026
At the APC State Congress held in Makurdi on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher delivered a powerful address as Chairman of the Congress, reaffirming the party’s commitment to unity, internal democracy, and responsible leadership in Benue State. His speech emphasized discipline, institutional strength, and collective progress as the foundation for sustainable political success and development.
Iyorwuese Hagher
3/3/20263 min read
Our Honourable Minister, Prof. Joseph Utsev, Distinguished Senators; Emmanuel Udende and Titus Zam,
Honourable Members of the House of Representatives and State Assembly,
Distinguished Elder,Senator Jacob Tilley Gyado
Distinguished leaders of our great party,
Founding fathers and mothers,
Members of the State Executive,
Delegates from across our local governments,
Our elders, our youth, our women,
And the resilient members of the All Progressives Congress here gathered in Makurdi—
Today is not just a congress.
Today is a restoration.
For three difficult years, our party endured distractions. We faced internal tremors engineered not by strangers, but by some who once benefited from the sweat, sacrifice, and structure of this very party. Some sought to create an alternative platform—one that excluded the founders, ignored the elders, and attempted to sideline the very leadership that built this house brick by brick.
But history humbles ambition when it forgets gratitude.
The All Progressives Congress is not a personal enterprise.
It is not a temporary vehicle for individual aspiration.
It is an institution built on loyalty, structure, and collective destiny.
Today, as we reaffirm our unity, we must acknowledge the pillars upon whose shoulders this party has risen.
We pay special tribute to Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. In this state, many who today occupy positions as governors, senators, ministers, and high-ranking government officials rose through the political structure and mentorship he painstakingly built. His contributions to the growth, stability, and expansion of our party cannot be rewritten or diminished. We honor his leadership, his endurance, and his continued service to our nation.
We also proudly recognise our distinguished senators:
Emmanuel Udende, Titus Zam and members of the House of Representatives and State Assembly who have stood with the party against great odds. Men who have continued to stand firm in advancing the interests of our people and defending the ideals of our great party.
We salute our teeming legislators at the State House of Assembly and at the party structures at the Ward and Local Government levels. You are the bridge between the grassroots and governance. Your loyalty and steadfastness in turbulent times have strengthened the foundation of our party.
We give particular recognition to our untiring State Chairman, Austin Agada, who stood solid like the Rock of Gibraltar, holding the reins of our party firmly when storms raged and pressures mounted. His chairmanship was not only affirmed by court rulings but by the enduring love and confidence of party members across the state. Leadership is tested in adversity, and he passed that test with courage and dignity.
In like manner, we celebrate our Honourable Minister, Professor Joseph Utsev, for his loyalty to the party and his unwavering support. His steadfastness reflects the discipline and commitment that define true party men.
Distinguished delegates,
This congress is not about vengeance.
It is not about settling scores.
It is about reaffirmation.
Today, we affirm our loyalty to the national leadership of our party.
We affirm our confidence in our constitutional structures.
We affirm our trust in the elders and the authentic leadership of the APC.
To those who strayed, we say: the door remains open. But unity must be built on respect for structure, discipline, and constitutional order. The era of parallel platforms must end today.
Let this congress send a clear message across our state:
The APC is organized.
The APC is disciplined.
The APC is united.
We will no longer allow distraction to weaken our mission.
We will no longer permit internal ambition to override collective progress.
We will move forward—stronger, wiser, and more focused.
Our task ahead is clear:
• Strengthen party structures from ward to state level.
• Reconcile genuinely where reconciliation is possible.
• Prepare strategically for future electoral contests.
• Restore confidence among our supporters.
• Protect the integrity of our mandate.
Political parties survive not because of individuals, but because of institutions. When institutions are respected, democracy thrives. When they are undermined, instability follows.
Today, we choose stability.
Today, we choose unity.
Today, we choose the future.
I call on every delegate here—return to your wards as ambassadors of unity. Speak the language of reconciliation. Defend the legitimacy of our structures. Reject rumor, reject division, reject manipulation.
Let it be known that from Makurdi, a stronger APC rises.
Our elders will not be ignored.
Our founders will not be erased.
Our leadership will not be undermined.
And our members will not be taken for granted.
We stand together.
We move together.
We win together.
Long live our party.
Long live our state.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you, and God bless you all.