2023: Now that Benue APC has opted for Tiv-Tiv ticket

By Armstrong Eche

 

Yesterday, we woke up with the shocking news that the All Progressives Congress, APC in Benue State has failed to replace their deputy governorship placeholder Barrister Shima Vembeh with former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Hon Sam Ode. The deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for a substitution of that nature expired on Friday, 12th August, 2022.

 

Now APC in Benue State has gone the way of its national body with a Tiv-Tiv ticket. Barrister Vembeh is Senator George Akume’s kinsman, same as Sam Ode who is also related to Akume on maternal lines. The imbroglio facing APC in Benue State at the moment is not ordinary. The confusion in the party is beyond human comprehension and capacity.

 

It is the Holy Spirit at work. I will come back to this later.

 

The chance-medley (disarray) situation that the APC has found itself that it is now stuck with a Tiv-Tiv governorship ticket in Benue state began when the party held its “direct primary election” which was roundly condemned and rejected by the party’s aspirants, except the one who was purported to have won. I need not say that most of those aspirants are in court challenging what they termed ‘yahoo yahoo election’.

 

When the time came for a running mate to be chosen, Akume refused to consult stakeholders of the party from Zone C. He unilaterally picked Sam Ode and wanted to impose him on the party. Expectedly, there was stiff resistance. Whoever advised Akume to pick another Tiv man as a deputy governorship placeholder put the final nail on the APC coffin. It was an insane decision.

 

How difficult was it for APC to pick someone from Zone C to be a placeholder until the issue of running mate was settled?

 

You see why I said the decision was influenced by a force bigger than Akume’s understanding! I will tell you more later.

 

The rejection of Sam Ode as the running mate by Zone C stakeholders was so fierce that Akume lost grip of the party in the zone. The stakeholders called for the quick intervention of the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullah Adamu in the crisis ravaging the party over the selection of a deputy governorship candidate. The stakeholders wondered why Akume would not allow the Idoma nation to decide and recommend a suitable candidate and instead preferred to use Senator Jack Tilley Gyado and Chief Simon Shango, both Tiv by tribe, to impose Sam Ode whose mother is of the Tiv lineage and specifically from Senator Akume’s place.

 

The party couldn’t resolve the crisis until INEC’s deadline elapsed.

 

Let’s now examine the power behind the confusion in Benue APC.

 

As someone wrote recently, God used Akume to produce two Governors after him. These are Gabriel Suswam and Samuel Ortom. But Akume suddenly felt that it was in his wisdom and power to make anyone that he chooses Governor.

 

He began to brag even against God.That loss of sanity reached the peak when Akume began to have issues with Governor Ortom. He boasted often that he singlehandedly determined who became Governor of the state in 2015 and castigated Governor Ortom for always claiming that God made him Governor.

 

Speaking during the valedictory session of the 8th Senate, Akume threw caution to the winds and boasted, “I made somebody Governor in my state but whenever he speaks, he says it was the Holy Spirit that made him governor”.

 

Jesus warned us that sin against the Holy Spirit is eternal sin! “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men” (Matthew 12:31).

 

Now you know why Akume will never again have the blessing of God to produce another Governor.

 

The mistakes APC are making in Benue state are beyond their control. That party will never again rule the state as long as the former Governor remains its leader. You may doubt this but just continue watching events and you will agree with me.

 

Akume has fallen from grace. Tell me, if it was ordinary, Akume and his men would have realized their mistake of choosing a placeholder from the Tiv speaking area and corrected themselves before it was too late.

 

But again, that is where my second concern lies. Akume has, in more ways than one, shown us the people of Zone C that he hates us. He has never allowed us to make our choices in anything that he is the key person.

 

All the other political parties have picked their governorship running mates from Apa/Agatu, except Akume’s APC which has been insisting on choosing Sam Ode in the same Otukpo where the current Deputy Governor hails from.

 

Whatever is happening to APC in Benue State now, my conclusion is that it serves them right. I do not have a dog in their fight. We the people of Zone C will speak to APC in the language they will understand during the elections next year.

 

(Eche writes from Makurdi, Benue State).