Benue State has declared a one-week public holiday for civil servants to mark Easter celebrations. The break, which begins immediately, allows workers to observe the religious festival, rest, and spend time with family. Government officials said the extended holiday could also stimulate local economies through increased spending and travel. Essential services including healthcare and security will remain operational. Authorities urged residents, especially travellers, to observe road safety and maintain peace during the period. The call comes amid ongoing security challenges in the state, particularly farmer-herder conflicts.
Meanwhile, Federal Representative Phillip Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo constituency, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Labour Party (LP). He announced the move during Tuesday's House of Representatives plenary, with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen reading his defection letter along with 25 others. Agbese, formerly APC deputy spokesperson, said the decision reflects the will of his constituents. "Our people have taken a firm position that Labour Party is the vehicle to carry them to their expected destination in 2027," he said. He denied personal ambition, particularly governorship plans, was a factor. "No governorship ambition is in sight now," he stated. Agbese credited growing grassroots support for LP in his constituency and cited party registration figures as evidence. He praised George Akume as his "father and greatest benefactor" but affirmed his shift was about service, not internal APC conflicts. The APC in Benue is currently divided over tensions between Governor Hyacinth Alia and Akume, a former governor and influential party figure. Reconciliation efforts by the Presidency, APC national leadership, and Tor Tiv James Ayatse have not resolved the rift. Agbese now aims to strengthen LP's structure in Benue ahead of the 2027 elections. "This is a new party and new family. It's not time to fight; it's time to win elections," he said, acknowledging LP leaders like chairman Nenadi Usman and Abia Governor Alex Otti.
Phillip Agbese's defection to the Labour Party isn't about personal grievance — it's a signal that grassroots sentiment in Benue is shifting faster than APC's internal crises can be managed. With Agbese citing constituent pressure and LP's rising registration numbers, the real story is not his exit but the erosion of APC's dominance in a once-solid stronghold. For Nigerian politics, this underscores how party loyalty is becoming less about hierarchy and more about electoral survival at the local level. If APC cannot contain its Alia-Akume rift, more lawmakers may calculate that their future lies elsewhere.
