By Jude Opara
The North-Central All Progressives Congress, (APC) Forum, has asked President Bola Tinubu to ‘watch’ Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), for allegedly working with opposition politicians to destabilize the APC in the North-Central zone.
The North-Central APC Forum made the call in a statement released by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, on Monday.
The call followed indications of a fresh alliance between Akume and immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, against the sitting Governor, Reverend Hyacinth Alia.
Akume has been engaged in a face-off with Alia over the control of the party in Benue, while Ortom’s administration is being proved by Alia’s government.
However, there are indications that the two former Benue governors have formed an alliance against Alia.
Ortom, who left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), during his tenure as governor, was among the dignitaries at a thanksgiving event held at Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State over the weekend to honour the SGF.
The event was also organised to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of Akume’s major loyalists, Dr. Matthias Byuan, an Executive Director at the Federal Housing Authority, FHA.
Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, had in a statement, criticised Ortom’s presence at the event, accusing him of poor leadership during his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2023.
On his part, Ortom, through his spokesman, Terver Akase, accused the Alia administration of receiving higher federal allocations without matching the expectations of citizens in addressing security and developmental challenges.
Reacting to the development, the North-Central APC Forum said it was concerned that the SGF is hobnobbing with a leader of the opposition in Benue State in the person of former governor Ortom.
In the statement signed by Zazzaga, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election, the North-Central APC Forum said it was alarming that the SGF has entered an alliance with opposition leaders to fight the APC government in Benue.
Urging Tinubu to watch the SGF, the Forum warned that the alliance between Akume and Ortom against Alia could destabilize the APC in the North-Central.
“The North-Central APC Forum has observed with alarm, the alliance and gang up between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, and Chief Samuel Ortom, the immediate past governor, against Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State.
“Chief Ortom, a leader of the opposition in Benue, whose administration is still under probe by the Governor Alia-led APC government, has now joined forces with Senator Akume, the SGF, to fight the APC government in Benue State.
“This unholy alliance was showcased at the thanksgiving program organized in honour of the SGF, Senator Akume, at Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State during the weekend.
“Chief Ortom’s prominent role at the event should be a cause for concern for any APC stakeholder and the attacks he hurled at Governor Alia following the event leaves us without any doubt that the SGF, Senator Akume, has ganged up with him to fight the APC governor in Benue State.
“The North-Central APC Forum is asking President Bola Tinubu to watch the SGF, as his alliance with opposition leaders such as Chief Ortom can destabilize the APC in not only Benue but the entire North-Central,” the group said.
