By Amos Aar
THE CHIEF Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, Tersoo Kula, has confirmed that there is a rift between his principal and his supposed godfather, Senator George Akume the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The frayed relationship between the two has largely been at the realm of speculation since the inauguration of the Benue State House of Assembly when the election of the leadership of the legislature and the appointment o f commissioners were rumoured to have pitched godfather and godson, with the former alleged to have insisted on handpicking his favoured candidates as against the later said to insist on establishing his hold on power by choosing or backing his men and women.
But Kula, while reacting to a press conference addressed Thursday in Abuja by members of the National Assembly Caucus elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform from Benue State who accused Governor Alia of alleged dictatorial leadership, poor performance and disrespect for the party’s stakeholders, inadvertently confirmed the cat-and-dog relationship between Akume and Alia, when he castigated the federal lawmakers who had demand to be accorded respect by the governor.
ALSO READ: What Catholic Bishops Of Nigeria Say On Blessing For Same-Sex Couples, Plus Reactions From Across The World
Although Governor Alia has been denying having any squabble with Akume, who on the other hand has remained quiet even as his loyalists continue to take on Alia, the CPS finally let the cat out of the bag in a statement on Friday.
“We heard very loud the vicious intent of the sponsor of such a malicious press conference from his messengers,” Kula said.
Kula insinuated that the federal lawmakers were incapable of winning elections assisted by the popularity of his principal symbolized in the “Yes Father” slogan to ride to victory.
“It is quite ironic that Senator Titus Zam, who could not win elections in his ward and local government, but only got saved by the popularity of the “Yes Father” movement in the two major towns of (Makurdi and Gboko) for the Benue North West Senatorial District election, led this infamous group not to discuss issues that will bring more development to the state, but to descend on the governor by consistently referring to him during the press conference in a demeaning manner.
“It is even more laughable when Zam and his co-travellers insinuated that Rev. Fr. Alia came into “a stronger” APC for the election”
“But suffice to ask, when the Saint, who is also a Maitama drummer and orchestrator of the macabre music and his cohorts had pompously danced and campaigned for the same party in 2019, what was the outcome? Have they forgotten that the party barely managed to get one National Assembly seat out of 14? The party also got less than four out of 30 members in the Benue State House of Assembly?”, Kula mocked the Benue APC Nass members.
ALSO READ: Salihu Lukman And The Thankless Job Of Reforming The APC; By Jibrin Ibrahim
The above words by Kula are clear indicators that he was referring to Senator Akume, who had served 3-terms at the Senate representing Benue North-West. He contested for a 4th term in the 2019 general elections but lost to Barr Orker Jev.
The SGF is also said to reside in Maitama, Abuja.
Kula continued: “But the same party went into, and came out of, the 2023 general elections with changed fortunes. Noticeably, all the actors in 2019 remained the same except one major actor, and that is Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia. So, what else changed the fortunes of the party in 2023, if not Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia?
“We heard very loud the vicious intent of the sponsor of such a malicious press conference from his messengers.
“They keep boasting about how they have concluded arrangements to manipulate the Supreme Court judgement in favour of the PDP candidate who has agreed to defect and join the APC,” Kula added.
The CPS came out more clearly on the Akume versus Alia rift and became more precise when he praised journalists for asking during the press conference whether the Benue NASS members were working for Akume or in the interest of Benue people.
ALSO READ: Alia Unfreezes BIPC Bank Accounts, Pays 7 Months’ Staff Salary Arrears, Other Benefits
“We are happy that men of the pen profession threw very relevant and incisive probing questions. The one that resonated the most was whether the group was working for the interest of the SGF, Sen. George Akume, or the people of Benue state. “The question was asked not fewer than three times by different journalists at the conference. Can you bury the truth?” Kula noted.
