By Chief Livinus Ochejile
Friday, August 16, 2024, witnessed yet another internal contradiction of the Tiv, with the letter addressed to the President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, captioned, GOVERNOR ALIA’S ATTEMPT TO PUT BENUE APC IN JEOPARDY – OUR RESISTANCE by the Concerned Benue APC Progressives Forum (CBAPF), as published in the Nation Newspaper. This is typical of the internal ‘Pull-Him-Down’ syndrome of the Tiv, through petition writing against each other as reminiscent of the famous ‘You Tarka me, I Dabo you’ of the seventies. This practice, to say the least, is most distractive, retrogressive, and a complete ridicule of the Tiv Nation. For such a document to have been initiated and signed by a section of the top echelon of the Tiv political stakeholders in this day and age speaks volumes about the quality of political leadership that has trailed and the consequential position of the Tiv in Nigeria’s political equation from 1999 to date.
It will be necessary to attempt to set the records straight and expose the misrepresentations, then follow up with a balanced analysis and conclude with the call for a unified front in line with the vision of His Royal Majesty, Prof. James Ortese Ayatse CFR, Tor Tiv V, in projecting the Tiv under an amicable and transformative political leadership.
Whereas the emergence of the AD in the political activities leading to the 1999 democracy was spearheaded by Gov. Moses Orshio Adasu of blessed memory, no political capital was achieved in Benue State beyond the Chf. Barnabas Gemade led PDP, and the late Wantaregh Paul Iorpuu Unongo led APP. Prof. Sen. David Iornem, on the eve of the 2011 general elections, reintroduced the AC/ACN in the Benue politics. The fallout of Sen. George Akume with his successor, Gov. Gabriel Torwua Suswam, led to Akume cross-carpeting from PDP to AC/ACN, where he won his second tenure in the Senate. The sweeping popularity of the ACN was anchored on the political dynasty of Wantaregh Paul Unongo, by introducing his nephew, Prof. Steve Ugbah, as the party’s gubernatorial candidate. ACN’s change mantra with the broom insignia, heralded by the local Slogan “Ugbah Nyor Shor Chenji” (meaning the entry of Ugbah has changed the electoral equation), swept through like a tsunami that delivered Sen. Akume’s senatorial bid against the indefatigable PDP in Benue State. Besides this senatorial seat, the PDP held power in Benue State, with few other seats captured by the ANPP. The 2023 formation of the APC in Benue State was almost marred by the internal revolt of the leadership style from the ACN, as the ANPP, CPC, and the splinter PDP collapsed into the new APC. The ACN-led leadership of the APC in the state stoutly blocked the entry of many political stakeholders, which would have enabled a smooth sail for the new party. Chf. Gemade later left the PDP to help clench the Zone A Senatorial seat for the APC. Chf. Samuel Ortom left after losing the PDP gubernatorial ticket to run as the APC flag bearer. It is on record that in Benue, the PDP still won most of the State Assembly seats in the 2015 general elections; however, some PDP members voted for the more popular former PDP member, Samuel Ortom, to win the Governorship ticket for the APC.
The second mismanagement of a governor sponsored by H.E. Sen. (Dr) George Akume led to Gov. Ortom abandoning the APC to return to PDP with the Magic wand that swept the short-lived APC out of power in Benue. The recruitment of the famous exorcist and healer Reverend Gentleman, Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, into the APC was indeed the master stroke that stormed the Benue political landscape like the overwhelming Tsunami it was. He won the governorship with a never-imagined landslide and has maintained a record that stands apart from any before him. Many in the Benue APC that won elections in 2024 rode on the back of Fr. Alia’s popularity, as some cannot deliver their polling units to date. It is only fitting to acknowledge the critical contributions of others in bringing home trophies for any team. Politics is a team event and never an individual acclaim to victory.
The opening and concluding statements of the petition, “…that we the undersigned foundational stakeholders and leaders of the Party from 1999 beginning with AD, AC, ACN, and now APC, deem it necessary to publicly resist the attempt by the Executive Governor of Benue State to jeopardize and dwindle the electoral fortunes of the Party in future elections” and “We wish to draw the attention of the presidency and leaders of the party that the current structure of our party in Benue state has been intact right from the days of AD, AC, ACN, and now APC, has remained strong and loyal to President Bola Tinubu.” are a misrepresentation of facts. Many listed stakeholders were not even politicians who participated in the serialized political parties. Some, at best, joined only the APC and, at various times, or moved from the PDP, but not necessarily as foundation members. How could the leadership of the Benue AD under Gov. Adasu or AC under Sen. David Iornem be the same as Akume’s structure in the ACN? Akume’s insistence on installing the ACN leadership in the APC without due consideration of the ANPP and those from the PDP sparked the initial challenges of the Benue APC. His lonesome leadership style frustrated the participation of many strategic stakeholders. These sweeping and exaggerated claims aim to hoodwink Mr. President into the false security of long-standing followership by a few while edging out the trusted and emerging political juggernauts that threaten most of the empty political barrels.
The Benue political leadership problem started in the PDP in 2005/2006, followed through to the AC/ACN, and has trailed the APC with petitions at every stage of the party. It didn’t start today. In this life, some are gifted with divine providence, as evidenced in the political exploits of H.E. Sen. (DR) George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation. To have been sponsored by Chf Barnabas Gemade to become the Governor of Benue state from a very humble background in 1999 to three-time Senator including Senate Minority Leader, then Minister of Special duties to President Buhari, and now Secretary of the Government of the Federation is not a small feat. Sen. Akume has also been responsible for the emergence of all three governors who came after him in Benue State. He has surpassed the political trophies of his late uncle, Chf. Sen. J.S. Tarka. Sen. Akume remains the political colossus of Benue State. To always resort to political conflicts with all three governors he sponsored spells his consistent wrong choices or poor managerial style, as all three have varying personalities. He has consistently been on the warpath with his benefactors, Chf. Sen. Gemade and Sen. Dr. Iorchia Ayu.
The Concerned Benue APC Progressives Forum claimed that “…we are making this publication, conscious that if Benue is united and becomes a better place today, our unborn children will inherit the legacies and benefit from our development agenda today. The present status quo where deep rooted animosity and distrust have taken center stage will continue to weaken the cord of our collective existence and visit excruciating harm on all of us.” From the foregoing, it is clear that Akume sowed the seeds of distrust by abandoning his benefactors. The culture of persistent conflicts with all the three Governors after him predicates the unity of the State only on the whims and caprices of the one and only leader, H.E. Sen. (Dr) George Akume. The differences between Ortom and Suswam, notwithstanding his vendetta against Suswam, were greatly fueled by the leader’s desire to get back at Suswam. What exactly will that development agenda under his leadership be as the expected legacies for the unborn children under such a cantankerous and divisive leadership style? The anxiety of the Concerned Benue APC Progressives Forum over the influence of the invincible Sen. Suswam of the PDP in the installation of the APC Speaker of the Benue state House of Assembly and Suswam’s continued influence on Gov Alia as captured in the published pictures of the two, speaks to an unending fear and continued witch hunting of the former Governor and Distinguished senator from Benue. How can trust ever be built among the Benue political leadership?
It is intriguing to know what defines Akume’s socio-economic and political agenda for his people, the Tiv, Benue State, and the Nigerian Minorities. Identifying the political philosophies of JS Tarka, Aper Aku, and Paul Unongo is straightforward. The Developmental gains and political ascendancy of Iorchia Ayu to the Senate Presidency under the short term of Adasu, Mr. Infrastructure, and the many elevated Benue indigenes of substance to the national level defined Suswam, and Samuel Ortom was known for the anti-open grazing and defensive stance against the genocidal attacks and forced land occupation of the Benue valley by the terrorist Herdsmen. Each has made their imprint in the defense of our people for posterity.
While Tinubu and Akume were colleague governors, Lagos State witnessed enormous wealth-creation initiatives, the empowerment of the ‘Area Boys’ off the streets, the aggregation of the first eleven in the South-Western Geopolitical Zone, which many were later hoisted to the federal level, including a Vice President, and the unification of the Zone like none in Nigeria. All Lagos State governors, after Tinubu, have continued with the culture of outshining their predecessors in the development of the State. In Benue, all the wealth-creation initiatives of the legendary Gov. Aper Aku were grounded or sold out, Local governments demobilized, and the quality of leadership was grossly compromised. Not one of the commissioners, advisers, heads of government agencies, or top civil servants was good enough to be elevated as he rose to stardom. Akume’s continued reign has been a hurricane that runs through Tiv Land and Benue State.
The CBPF claims, “As concerned leaders and stakeholders of the party in the State, we are deeply committed to sustaining the victory the party recorded in the last General Elections to establish a standard platform for winning future elections.” This is debatable, as past mistakes with Govs Suswam and Ortom are obviously being repeated. The anti-party activities that blocked the electoral fortunes of the party’s flag bearer, Steve Ugba, followed soon after Akume’s senatorial win under the ACN but were masked under the leader’s victory. Could this be a culture of self-preservation against Party fortunes? How strategic was Amb. Steve Ugba, with a category A posting to Russia, being replaced with Amb. Tarzoor to Namibia? Why were senior APC foundation members like Sen. Prof. Daniel Saror, late Amb. Mike Gbasha, the ACN deputy Governor Candidate, Young Alhaji Usman Abubakar, sidetracked to leave the Benue APC.
When all hope was lost because of the futility of petitions against Akume’s bungling of the Political Parties under his control, it is paradoxical to have one orchestrated to secure his stranglehold on the Benue APC, boomerang to erase his power in the twinkle of an eye! What stopped these APC super stakeholders from signing the petition if the concerns of this group were authentic and genuinely popular? These include the former deputy governor Chf. Steve Lawani, Former multiple National Party chairman, Chf. Sen. Barnabas Gemade, Former National Chairman, Minister, and Campaign DG of President Buhari, Chf. Audu Ogbeh, Former Senate President Ameh Ebute, Former AGF Michael Aondoakaa, Ambassador of Nigeria to Russia, Prof. Steve Ugba, Rep. Solomon Wombo, The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, Rt Hon. Emmanuel Jime, Prof. Terhemba Shija, and all the other APC gubernatorial aspirants.
The CBAPF accused Gov. Alia, “Strangely, the Governor has persistently launched attacks on Federal appointees and members of the National Assembly from the state who are out to propagate the programs and policies of the President Tinubu-led Administration.” There is nothing to suggest any poor relationship between Gov. Alia and Mr. President, so why such an accusation that seeks to create bad blood between the two? Seeking to ruin this relationship will have the most unfortunate consequences on the political fortunes of Benue State. Yet this is coming from the same group that claims to aspire to the unity of Benue State to become a better place and for our unborn children to inherit the legacies and benefit from our development agenda today!!! The Governor is also lobbying Mr. President for National appointments for the Benue people. Why, then, would he be antagonistic against Mr. President’s appointees? If it is true that Gov. Alia “initiates destructive propaganda against them and calls them names such as “BOKOTI MBAIOROV” meaning people who are hollow as a bucket, “KEMPE MBAIOROV” meaning people as insignificant as panties,” there must be more to it than meets the eye. Could the Governor be echoing the general complaints about the quality of leadership recruitment and representation from Benue by the leader? Alternatively, could these appointees’ poor performances and refusal to effectively convey a positive federal presence in Benue state in helping the Governor promote the APC account for venting such frustration?
It is very instructive, however, to follow the reconciliatory path of H.R.M. Prof. James Ortese Ayatse CFR, Tor Tiv V, in his quest to bring his sons, the Governor, and the SGF together in a seamless working relationship. The position of the Governor of the State as the leader of the Party is not in doubt, as exemplified by the intelligent move of Mr. President, as a prudent and dynamic politician, in handing over the structure of the Benue APC to Gov. Alia. It behooves the Governor to be large-hearted, very inclusive, and accommodating in reaching out to his benefactor to break the vicious cycle of distrust and political anarchy that has trailed Benue since 1999. Reconciling the political leadership under his Priestly direction of equity, justice, and peace in an environment that celebrates excellence and creates wealth for all will deliver the transformation of the State and elongate his governorship in the most extraordinary ways. Gov. Alia can pull together all the other two former Governors and deputies as you consolidate a proper advisory council of elders to have a sense of belonging and ownership and guide their participation for a peaceful and prosperous Benue State, to the Glory of God Almighty.
Long live Gov. Alia, Benue State, Mr. President, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Chief Ochejile, writes from Agatu in Benue state
